The Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) is a body consisting of 12 distinguished scholars who provide the direction for and guide the implementation of the Earth System Governance Project. We wish to make a few announcements to recent changes in the composition of the committee:
Two members act as co-chairs of the SSC at any one time, serving to spearhead the work of the group. For the period of 2021/2022, Prof. James Meadowcroft (Carleton University, Canada) will join Dr. Agni Kalfagianni (Utrecht University, the Netherlands) as Co-Chair of the Earth System Governance Project. We wish to convey our warm thanks to outgoing Dr. James Patterson (Utrecht University, the Netherlands) for his efforts as Co-Chair, in particular for his leadership to assist the ESG Project to navigate and overcome the challenges posed by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
SSC members devote a limited term to the position and work is divided according to a portfolio structure. We are delighted to announce that three new members will join the SSC: Dr. Steffen Bauer (German Development Institute, Germany), Prof. Louis Kotzé (North-West University, South Africa) and Prof. D.G. Webster (Dartmouth University, USA). Dr. Steffen Bauer is a Senior Researcher and Head of Klimalog Project at the German Development Institute. His role in the SSC will relate to the ‘Partners and Outreach’ portfolio. Prof. Louis Kotzé is a Research Professor in Law at the North-West University, South Africa and a Senior Professorial Fellow in Earth System Law at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom. Louis will help to lead ‘People’ related concerns of the network such as new research fellows and early-career researchers. Prof. D.G. Webster is an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth University specializing in Ocean Governance and understanding feedbacks within global scale social-ecological systems. She will be active in the SSC work surrounding the Taskforces and Working Groups. The three join Chukwumerije Okereke (Alex-Ekwueme Federal University, Nigeria) as new additions to the SSC for the year of 2021.
As new scholars enter, so do three members exit the SSC. We are deeply grateful for the insights, direction and efforts offered by Prof. Lorraine Elliott (Australian National University, Australia), Prof. David Mungai (University of Nairobi, Kenya) and Dr. Åsa Persson (Stockholm Environment Institute) since late 2018 to ensure the Earth System Governance project remain a vibrant project at the forefront of science and research efforts relating to earth system transformations.
