Celebrating one year at OG with our Director of EU Policy, Aurelia Leeuw
When Aurelia joined Opportunity Green as Director of EU Policy a year ago, there was no OG office in Brussels. Today, she has helped establish our Brussels presence as a recognised and relevant voice on EU files, grown the team, and seen the SASHA Coalition’s membership double.
Nuala, Daniel, Aurelia, Sabrina and Aoife in front of the European Parliament.
What drew you to work at OG?
I was looking for work in a climate NGO, with a preference for a small structure in Brussels. The fact that OG was only just setting up its presence here was perfect: I get to use what I’ve learned working in structures with offices in different countries, while having a lot of freedom in how to develop the project here. I also spend quite a portion of my time on the SASHA Coalition, which really resonates with my previous experience seeking out alliances with industries that are decarbonising, as well as working in membership organisations, getting members to contribute actively to the organisation’s work.
In all fairness, just as important was the four-day workweek. In Belgium, this setup is even less accepted than in the UK, so it feels great to be leading the way in normalising this kind of approach to work time.
What has changed since you started?
A lot has changed for OG, but I’ll focus on the Advocacy team that I lead where a lot happened: Delphine joined me in Brussels, Sorcha in Dublin, Nuala got promoted and started to focus more on the UK, Daniel also got promoted, and Sabrina got promoted and changed roles to focus more on SASHA membership. So, the team itself grew, changed, and professionalised, and we managed to keep a pretty chill and fun vibe (although you should probably check with my team if they feel the same).
Delphine and Aurelia at Rotterdam station.
We also grew the SASHA coalition from 9 to 19 members, developed our positions on a number of themes, and as such are really maturing as both a team and coalition.
What are you most proud of being involved in since you joined?
I would say the many meetings and calls we’ve had with stakeholders in Brussels: as the year progressed, we saw that our presence went from relatively low profile to being acknowledged as relevant and important on EU files. This has been really rewarding: it’s been a busy and hectic year with loads happening, so seeing the impact of your work is pretty crucial to keep the motivation and the ambition up!
Absolutely just as important is the number of colleagues I drove around in my cargo bike (at least 5)! Unfortunately, my northern star of giving all my colleagues a ride was brutally taken from me when the bike was stolen late last year. I’m still open to ideas for a replacement activity in lieu of the cargo bike ride soft Brussels hazing.
Daniel and Sabrina in Aurelia’s cargo bike in Brussels.
What inspires you about what you’re working on?
I love understanding how other stakeholders are interacting with policy files, whether we align on positioning or not. Seeing strategies evolve, adapting to realities, and having brains come together to figure out these complex landscapes is always inspiring.
What are you looking forward to in the coming year?
I’m really looking forward to bringing OG’s legal work to Brussels. We do a lot of amazing work analysing and questioning certainties from a legal lens, and I’m convinced there’s a lot we can do with that if we translate it into policy and bring it to decision-makers in Brussels. We’re recruiting someone to join the Brussels team to do just that, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
