The Supervisory Board advises the Fossielvrij NL team, supervises its activities and keeps an eye on the goals and the mission of the organisation.

Vatan Hüzeir, chair

“I joined Fossielvrij NL in 2013 and am thrilled to now give back to the movement.”

Before becoming a climate activist over a decade ago, Vatan engaged with issues such as self-determination, anti-racism, human rights and the environment. He has coordinated and organised campaigns with various organisations, publishes and speaks about climate change. Vatan, a sociologist, is a PhD-candidate at the Erasmus University. He researches systemic critiques amongst international grassroots climate activist groups. He lives in Rotterdam, enjoys music, poetry and yoga.

Layla Sawyer, secretary

“Climate change is the defining challenge of our generation, and our ability to avoid a climate catastrophe will seal the fate of many generations to come.”

Layla is based in Brussels, working on integrating more renewable energy into the electricity system by influencing EU policy. She believes that we need to make our energy system more flexible, by shifting our electricity consumption to moments when there is a lot of renewable energy available. This will speed up the energy transition and make our current infrastructure as efficient as possible. Previously, she worked on various projects at Urgenda, Cordaid, Giro555. She is especially proud of co-organising the Climate Miles, a 600km+ march from Utrecht to Paris before COP21, supporting the Urgenda lawsuit, and helping set up the Grootouders voor het Klimaat.

Joost Hartog, treasurer

“I believe in the power of diversity of actions and am a strong advocate for open movements that reach out to as many people as possible.”

Joost has a 40 years long history as an activist and campaigner in NGOs, as well as grass-roots organisations. Starting in the new social movements of the late seventies, he worked on the anti-apartheid struggle, for anti-racist organisations, but also for nature conservation and environmental causes. Joost lives and works in Amsterdam with partner and four grown-up children, and is an enthusiastic cyclist and climber.

zohra moosa

“I am continuously inspired by Fossielvrij’s agenda and approach, working creatively and collectively for climate justice.” 

zohra is a feminist activist with local, national and international experience organising with anti-racist, anti-capitalist, queer and environmental justice groups, organisations and movements. She supports individuals and groups working in the non-profit sector to thrive as they contend with complex transformation. zohra also sits on the Supervisory Board of the Transnational Institute (TNI). Previously she worked as Executive Director at Mama Cash in Amsterdam, focusing on mobilising resources for and channeling them to feminist groups and movements around the world. This work included a major programme focusing on environmental justice.

Sumeyra Arslan

“As the current and future generations face the biggest challenges yet caused by climate change, I am honoured to join Fossielvrij NL in the fight for a better future and climate justice through corporate accountability.”

The burning desire to fight injustice worldwide has led Sumeyra to study Law. As a Kurdish Indigenous woman, she has witnessed her fair share of generational injustice. However, being born and raised in the Netherlands, she has privileges that most Indigenous People do not have. Using those privileges and as a legal expert, Sumeyra works on climate litigation with Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth NL) and campaigns for a climate-related Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice. She has a strong background in human rights and climate change and developed expertise in corporate accountability, specifically in the fossil fuel industry, just transition, net zero commitments, the banking sector, and human rights violations related to the fossil fuel industry.

Philip Schols

“When ordinary people join forces, we can create movements that break the status quo and transcend boundaries.”

Philip is an organiser and activist in the climate justice movement. Over the last decade, he co-founded and coordinated grassroots organisations, large-scale protests and disobedient actions that brought together a broad spectrum of people and organisations, including Code Rood, Shell Must Fall, Climate Games, and the Klimaatcrisis Coalitie.

Will Bates

“Fossil Free NL has been such a powerful, leading organisation in the fight against the fossil fuel industry. I’m thrilled to be supporting the organisation and in the movement together.”

Will has been helping build the climate justice movement since the mid-2000s. He is a co-founder of 350.org and has led many of 350’s major projects and programs over the years. Currently he is the lead for 350’s Road to Brazil and Beyond program looking to build renewed movement momentum and impact before, during, and after COP30 in Brazil. He is originally from the US and now lives in a small town in Spain with his partner and two daughters.