Impact Outlook • ‘In addition to undertaking fundamental and applied research, the Project also engages in policy advisory, teaching and capacity building’

• ‘ may require transformative change. Good intentions and incremental change may not suffice’

Towards more sustainable

Ruben Zondervan, Executive Director of the Earth System Governance Project, discusses the need for a truly global network and the importance of improving governance systems

Why was the Earth Systems Governance Project set up, and what How will the Earth System Governance Project assist integrated does the work of the organisation involve? decision making and policy development in regards to earth system transformation? The governance systems that are set up to steer societies towards Even though the Earth System Governance research alliance is preventing, mitigating and adapting to environmental change are predominantly focussing on cutting-edge scientific research, it is insufficiently understood and performing poorly. Increasing the also designed to assist policy responses. It aims at improving the understanding and contributing to the improvement of governance science-policy dialogue and at exploring and implementing more for sustainability through cutting-edge research is the rationale for effective ways of translating complex, interdisciplinary social science the Earth System Governance Project. The Project was established in research into policy-relevant insights and information. To this end, 2009 and has since developed into a global alliance of researchers many researchers engage in advisory groups to the United Nations and research institutions. In addition to undertaking fundamental Environment Programme (UNEP), other UN agencies, and national and applied research, the Project also engages in policy advisory, and regional governmental and nongovernmental organisations; teaching and capacity building – often in close collaboration with contribute to scientific assessments; or serve in national delegations decision makers and stakeholders. to intergovernmental negotiations. With the compilations of policy assessments that synthesise the research findings to specific policy- What are the current key research challenges on global relevant questions, the global, diverse and interdisciplinary Earth environmental change and , and how is System Governance network brings to bear its collective knowledge the Earth System Governance research alliance working to address and insights. these? Coordinating efforts for such a large network must be challenging. Governance and behavioural change is not only a question of How do you support collaboration and communication within the governance effectiveness, but also a challenge for political legitimacy, alliance across the globe? inclusiveness, liberty and social justice. Research on this is obviously at the core of the Earth System Governance network. Another Coordination is challenging indeed – not just because of the research challenge, which we address through collaboration with scope of the Project’s research and the size of its interdisciplinary natural sciences, humanities, arts, the private-sector and civil society international network, but also because of decentralised funding actors, is that of transformative change. Incremental change will not and its non-hierarchical network structures. This requires be sufficient to cope with the societal challenges posed by global innovative research management and boundary work. Continuous environmental change; but how and toward what to transform, is communication in person, through social media or via virtual scientifically complex and has significant normative aspects. meeting platforms is key. Virtues like trust, patience and

4 www.impact.pub Ruben Zondervan is Executive Director of the Contact details Earth System Governance Project. He is based at Ruben Zondervan the International Project Office hosted by Lund Executive Director University, Sweden. Zondervan is a specialist in Earth System Governance Project international research management and science Earth System Governance policy. He has a strong interest in the politics of International Project Office science and science of politics. Currently, he also Lund University serves as acting executive director of Stakeholder PO Box 170, SE 221 00 Lund Forum for a Sustainable Future, and inter alias T: +46 462220478 on the Board of Directors of the International E: [email protected] Environmental Communications Association (IECA). W: www.earthsystemgovernance.org Zondervan studied political science, modern history, Twitter: @RZondervan law, and economics in Freiburg im Breisgau and Twitter: @ESG_Project political sciences in Potsdam, and holds a degree in environment and resource management from the VU University Amsterdam. Earth System Governance

improvisation are assets. That said, the network has developed a sustainable development efforts. The research agenda will reflect strong element of self-coordination. The connections brokered and that, and will have to address not only the goals but also the fostered by the Project between individual researchers (particularly principles underpinning them, like universality and leaving no one the early career researchers) in our global network have resulted in behind – and in that vein, I see themes like planetary justice as numerous interactions that strengthen the network. And last but not an emerging issue. Important and interesting are the interactions least, the solid long-term hosting of the Earth System Governance between major global developments. For instance, even the best International Project Office – at Lund University since 2011 and environmental agreement will not achieve its objectives if trade at from 2019 on – is an essential anchor in the agreements are not aligned, or if agricultural policies remain dynamic network. unchanged. Climate change will remain a dominating item on the agenda though, and the emergence of issues like climate How much progress has been made towards Europe achieving engineering will add complex new dimensions to it. It would be sustainable development? What steps do you consider essential to presumptuous to assume that the Earth System Governance Project ensuring the gains in this area are sustained or built on? can ensure that the world is well placed to address these issues. What we can do, and are doing successfully, is to make sure that Measuring progress depends on which metric is used and how one the scientific community is well placed to address these issues by defines sustainable development as objective. In a comparative producing relevant, high quality research in a timely manner. global perspective, Europe is certainly not underperforming. Single issue environmental problems, like pollution of surface water, are Do you have any important outreach activities planned within the being addressed quite successfully. Measured against the problems Earth System Governance Project in the near future? ahead, most of which are rather complex and span environmental, social and economic aspects, there is a long way to go. Integrating Our annual open science conference is the highlight in a calendar sustainability throughout all policy domains would be a necessary full of workshops, lectures and other events. The conference this step to take. Also, the false dichotomy of environment versus year in Utrecht, the Netherlands, marks the 10-year anniversary of economy is still prevalent and hampering necessary change. the Project and sees the launch of a renewed research agenda, as Again, sustainability may require transformative change. Good well as the start of the hosting of the Project’s International Project intentions and incremental change may not suffice. Moreover, it Office at Utrecht University. will be important to strengthen the scientific knowledge base and the science-policy mechanisms. The European Environment Agency In addition, the Earth System Governance Project entered a has been doing solid work on this for decennia. The Chief Science partnership on governance for global sustainability with Stakeholder Advisor in the previous European Commission was one other Forum for a Sustainable Future. The partnership will strengthen attempt in this direction; the current Scientific Advice Mechanism, the evidence base of the multi-stakeholder facilitation processes by another. The most important, though, is a research and innovation Stakeholder Forum and the impact of the policy solutions derived policy striving for high quality research. from the fundamental and applied research by the Earth System Governance Project. A first joint event was held at the United What do you consider will be the big sustainable development topics Nations Environment Assembly in December 2017. With this of interest in the coming few years, and what steps is the Earth partnership, a research agenda fit for the years to come, a successful System Governance Project taking to ensure that the world is well decennium of operations and a global network, the project will be placed to address these? optimally positioned to address understanding and improving of governance for sustainability. l The Sustainable Development Goals are increasingly structuring

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