Global Governance of the Earth System

Do you wish to engage further in education on earth system governance or share resources with students who will be the next generation of researchers and practitioners? This weekly series of lectures beginning in September is open to the research community and beyond. It is the ideal opportunity to become more familiar with earth system governance and its research framework. It will address pressing existing issues, new global trends, and the imperatives for broader societal transformation.

Earth system governance research begins with observations of our intricate and ever-changing world, along with the earth system it encompasses. The past decade has witnessed tremendous changes, with both natural and human systems experiencing an accelerated scale and pace of transformation. Particularly in developing urban areas, air pollution has dire consequences for human health and the environment. Moreover, global trends often obscure localized issues and the unequal distribution of environmental pressures and impacts, such as food insecurity, water stress, and vulnerability to natural disasters.

As a result, the empirical context for earth system governance is rapidly evolving, becoming increasingly complex and dynamic compared to a decade ago. Another aim of the course is to identify new relevant themes and concepts, reflecting both a changing empirical context and a changing scientific enquiry.

The course will explore significant trends and drivers of change that are expected to shape the next decade of global envirnmental governance. It acknowledges the coexistence of multiple worldviews and recognizes that drivers and directions of change are often complex and fluid.

Lecturers