Earth System Governance Project

ANALYSIS

Project Chair Professor Frank Biermann provides insights into the Earth System Governance Project’s current activities, including the broadening of its research network, the success of its events, and efforts to address the Sustainable Development Goals propsed by the UN

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International Innovation last spoke to the Earth System Governance How does the Project effectively maintain its position as the largest Project in 2011. What major developments have taken place in this time? social science research network in the area of governance and global environment change? Since 2011, the Earth System Governance Project has made exciting progress on numerous issues. To start, our global network of institutions As a network, our priority is to serve our community and provide added and researchers has been further strengthened, with firm agreements with benefit for the individual researchers and partners institutions. We do this partner institutions at the University of Ghana in Africa, University of Toronto by maintaining a complex and effective infrastructure of conferences, in Canada, and Yale University in the US, that will all join the alliance of Earth social media accounts, book series and other focused publication outlets; System Governance Research Centres. endorsed workshops at the regional and national level; fundraising; and many other activities. Annual congresses on Earth system governance were held at Lund University, Sweden, in 2012, Tokyo Institute of Technology and United Nations University, We are setting up a number of long-term task forces to bring researchers from Japan, in 2013, and University of East Anglia, UK, in 2014. The next conference different institutions and continents together. For example, on methodologies is scheduled for December 2015 at the Australian National University together in Earth system governance or on its conceptual foundations. with Canberra University. By what means are you exploring novel governance systems to address Our network has also further expanded its activities on policy dialogue global biogeochemical system changes on Earth? and advice, for instance, through major assessments of the state of science concerning the institutional framework for sustainable development and The core research approach in the Earth system governance alliance the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals. Key findings of our project is both analytical and normative. Analytically, we study the empirical were presented, among others, at the 2012 London Conference ‘Planet under governance processes at local, national and global levels, and try to Pressure’ and in April 2014 in a special session of the UN General Assembly. advance understanding on these processes, taking on board research questions such as governance effectiveness, accountability and legitimacy, Could you highlight some of the socioecological issues that you are adaptiveness, or the distributive effects of governance. Normatively, we currently investigating? seek to critique the current governance structures, and try to design new governance structures that better ensure pathways towards sustainability. Personally, I am currently most concerned with better understanding the political implications of the notion of an Anthropocene era. In this context, Does the Project influence and assist policy response to Earth I am engaged with the joint International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme system governance? (IGBP)/International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP, see p90) synthesis process, where the integrated study of the implications of the The project is driven by a joint desire to turn academic research into action, Anthropocene are an important element. and most colleagues in the network hope that their work will, in one way or another, help to shape policies towards sustainability. Our involvement I have just finalised a book with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in related processes at the UN level, but also in many national political Press, Earth System Governance: World Politics in the Anthropocene, and have processes, indicates that we do have some role in this respect. Whether our begun work on my next book, which studies the transnational governance of science is really influential, however, is probably a question it is too early fisheries and aquaculture. to answer.

60 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION ANALYSIS

As Chair, what do your duties involve? How did you come into this position and what is your background? THE FIVE As

I am a political scientist and international lawyer, with 20 years of The Project’s science plan is organised around ﬁ ve experience in studying international environmental and sustainability analytical areas of Earth system governance: governance. My own involvement with the Earth System Governance Project began as leader for its Scientifi c Planning Committee, and in ARCHITECTURE – focuses on issues related to fact even earlier, as the initiator of a New Directions network within the emergence, design and effectiveness of a comparable research project that closed down in 2006-07. A governance systems, including the integration of global, regional, national and I have been involved with the Project for a long time, which local governance means that my main function is now mainly to consolidate and institutionalise achievements made in previous years, to motivate ALLOCATION AND ACCESS – addresses and involve all scientists who are part of the project but not fully questions of distribution of material and active, to increase global representativeness within the project, and A immaterial values, of beneﬁ ts, burdens, and most importantly, to engage with the next generation of dedicated risks, and the access to resources and the young scientists who will eventually become – possibly in novel and underlying questions of justice, fairness, innovative constructions – leaders of the network. and equity

How fundamental is an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach AGENCY – explores the agents that drive to the Project’s work? earth system governance and that require A involvement. Thematic questions include: Interdisciplinarity, within the social sciences but also beyond, What is agency? Who are the agents of Earth is absolutely crucial for a network such as ours. International system governance (especially beyond the collaboration is not only key, it is the very basis on which our nation state)? How do different agents exercise network, as well as most exciting research these days, is built. agency in earth system governance, and how can we evaluate their relevance? Which areas of the Project’s work are you most excited about? Are you engaged in any exciting projects or developments ADAPTIVENESS – ensuring Earth system in the ﬁ eld of Earth system governance that you would like A governance is prepared to meet uncertainties to highlight? in human and natural systems is crucial

I am involved at the fringes in most Project task forces. However, I ACCOUNTABILITY – As larger institutions are spend most of my time focusing on Sustainable Development Goals, A faced with more regulatory competence and the social implications of the Anthropocene, and the conceptual authority, they need to respond to issues of foundations of Earth system governance. At present, these are the accountability and legitimacy of governance areas which I fi nd most timely and exciting. www.earthsystemgovernance.org

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