The Earth System Governance Project is pleased to announce the release of the Nijmegen Agenda, a comprehensive framework designed to foster transformative research and engagement in the field of Earth System Governance. Developed through a collaborative and consultative process, the Agenda sets out priorities for advancing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to tackle global environmental governance challenges.
Building a collective vision
The process to create the Nijmegen Agenda began at the 2023 Radboud Conference on Earth System Governance, hosted by Radboud University in Nijmegen. During the conference, the Committee for the Nijmegen Agenda prepared an initial draft, gathering input from participants through a community-wide survey and an interactive panel discussion. These inputs were then integrated into a second draft, which was submitted for review by the steering committee of the Earth System Governance Project. In a further effort to ensure wide participation, the draft was made publicly available, inviting feedback from the global Earth System Governance community. This step allowed scholars, policymakers, and other stakeholders to share their insights and refine the document.
This final version of the Nijmegen Agenda reflects a collective vision for the future of Earth System Governance research and engagement. It highlights the importance of bridging disciplinary boundaries and fostering collaboration between researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and civil society. By promoting a more inclusive and integrated approach, the Agenda aims to inspire new ways of addressing the complex sustainability challenges facing the world today.
Call for strong partnerships
The Nijmegen Agenda calls for stronger partnerships and the integration of diverse knowledge systems, from local to global, to produce actionable insights for governance solutions. It emphasizes that only by working together across disciplines and sectors can we develop effective strategies to address environmental challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource governance.
The Earth System Governance Project believes that the Nijmegen Agenda will serve as a vital resource for researchers and practitioners alike, guiding future efforts to align scientific inquiry with the urgent need for global sustainability action.
Read the full Nijmegen Agenda here.
The Nijmegen Agenda will be launched during a plenary session at the 2024 ESG Forum.
