In 2022, Olivier de Gruijter joined the Creative Climate Collective, a group of 18 designers, artists, and makers from the Netherlands and the African continent. The collective was invited to represent the Dutch creative sector at COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. The initiative, led by What Design Can Do and Creative Industries Fund NL, aimed to spotlight the role of design in shaping more just and sustainable futures.

Through a dynamic program of workshops, installations, and public dialogues—both in Egypt and the Netherlands—the collective explored how storytelling, material experimentation, and co-creation can make climate issues more tangible and inclusive. At COP27, the team engaged with international delegates, activists, and local communities, using creative methods to question extractive systems and center climate justice.

The collective continues to operate as a platform for experimentation, exchange, and climate action within the design field. This collective has resulted in new multidisciplinary collaborations, such as a study about community resilience on Qursaya Island.