The Earth System Governance Project expresses heartfelt appreciation to Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute, Faculty of Geosciences, and the Pathways to Sustainability Programme for their pivotal role as funding partners in fostering the growth and progress of the ESG Project over the past half-decade.
In 2019, the International Project Office (IPO) made a significant transition from Lund University to Utrecht under the guidance of the then Executive Director, Ruben Zondervan. This relocation was commemorated by the Utrecht University team, who enthusiastically organized the 2018 Conference on Earth System Governance.
Opening the 2018 Conference on Earth System Governance from the Dom Church
Rector Magnificus of Utrecht University, Prof. Henk Kummeling (right), and Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences Prof. Piet Hoekstra (left) at the #ESG2018 opening plenary where they welcomed the participants to Utrecht University.
From the outset, there was a clear alignment of the interests and objectives of ESG and Utrecht University. Earth system governance research stands directly at the interface of two strategic themes of the university: ‘Pathways to Sustainability’ and ‘Institutions for Open Societies’. Pathways to Sustainability seeks to focus on societal transformations and change needed for sustainability. The key topics that this strategic theme seeks to analyze – decarbonization, food, and urban settlements – are all central to the research conducted under the ESG umbrella.Institutions for Open Societies seeks to strengthen the international profile of Utrecht University in its field and emphasizes in its research programme questions of justice, equity, international and national institutions, as well as democracy and democratic legitimacy. Collaboration with ESG has solidified Utrecht University’s leadership in the field of global environmental governance.
During the five years that the IPO was hosted by Utrecht University, ESG organized 5 major annual conferences in Oaxaca (Mexico), a covid-related digital forum, Bratislava (Slovakia), Toronto(Canada), and Nijmegen (The Netherlands). The IPO collaborated closely with local organisers in the planning of these events, creating lasting institutional connections.
ESG also organised various in-person and hybrid events at Utrecht University, showcasing presentations by renowned scholars, which included:
- ESG Research Fellow Trip on 28-29 March, 2017
- Launch-Event: Re-imagining anticipatory climate governance in the world’s vulnerable regions in January, 2018
- The 2018 Utrecht Winter School on Earth System Governance
- The inaugural meeting of the Earth System Governance Project’s Taskforce on Planetary Justice, in March 2018
- ESG Research Fellow Trip in 2018
- ESG Speaker Series:
- ESG Speaker Series at Utrecht University – Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Anthropocene, in September 2019
- ESG Series at Utrecht University – Science of the Earth System in Times of Scepticism and Polarization, in October 2019
- ESG Speakers Series at Utrecht University – Governance of Solar Geoengineering: Linking International Climate Policies, in December 2019
- ESG Speakers Series at Utrecht University – Fair Limits in the Anthropocene – What are the just boundaries of our ecological footprint? in February 2020
- Earth System Governance in South Korea – The Road to Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, in June 2022
- Book Launch: Environmental Governance in Indonesia, in March 2023, as part of the ESG Project’s South-South initiative
Other notable achievements during the IPO’s time at Utrecht University include the launch of a Mentoring Initiative in 2021 that has paired early-career scholars with lead faculty and senior research fellows. Since then, over 188 early-career scholars have taken advantage of this initiative
In 2022, the Project launched the South-South Initiative. The beginning of the initiative included conference events and surveys that harvested concrete suggestions for addressing challenges faced by scholars, and how to develop the ESG network’s engagement in the so-called Global South, promoting greater scholarly exchange, and exploring new research themes.
Over the past five years, the ESG Project has provided a platform for fruitful interactions among Utrecht University’s researchers from different disciplines and has also provided connections to the major international research communities. Currently, there are 35 ESG affiliated research fellows, senior researcher fellows and lead faculty based at Utrecht University. We look forward to continuing to work closely with these scholars as we transition to a new home for the IPO.
Sincerely,
The Scientific Steering Committee
