IPESG organizes its work around a limited number of thematic assessment domains. These domains focus on specific and timely research questions of high policy relevance. The first assessment report will focus on the assessment domains outlined below.
The Development of the Concept of Earth System Governance
Coordinating Lead Authors
- du Toit, Louise | University of Southampton
- Biermann, Frank | Utrecht University
Abstract
The chapter explores the development of the concept of ‘earth system governance’ since its introduction in 2007. While around 6500 documents in Scopus contain the term ‘earth system governance’, only a smaller number seem to engage with the concept meaningfully. The chapter evaluates this subset of publications engaging more strongly with the concept of earth system governance and with related notions such as earth system law or justice. The chapter specifically considers these concepts in relation to the fields of law, international relations, humanities, geography and national policy. The object of the evaluation is to understand the purposes of such engagement with the concept of earth system governance, which may include application of the concept to separate issues, its development over time, as well as criticism of the concept. Ultimately, the chapter aims to assess the influence of the concept of earth system governance since its introduction nearly twenty years ago.
Governance through International Organizations
Coordinating Lead Authors
- Bauer, Steffen | German Institute of Development and Sustainability
- Bernstein, Steven | University of Toronto
- Park, Susan | University of Sydney
Abstract
This chapter assesses recent literature on the role of formal intergovernmental organizations in earth system governance. Underpinning this analysis is a recognition that there may be gaps in what is being governed in relation to planetary systems and changing socio-ecological relations as well as the nature of international cooperation, coordination and collaboration. Focusing on intergovernmental organizations and particularly those recognized in the United Nations Environmental Management Group, the chapter assesses the literature on around fifty agencies, programmes and organs of the United Nations system, including the World Bank Group, World Trade Organization and secretariats of major multilateral environmental agreements, as well as the main UN organs and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The chapter examines the functions of the intergovernmental organizations in meeting their environmental mandate or mitigating their environmental impact. Specifically, the chapter examines how intergovernmental organizations signal and guide environmental action; their rules and standards; their means of implementation (such as finance, support for states through capacity building or technology transfer); their transparency and accountability; and their efforts to acquire knowledge and undertake learning. The chapter also assesses their inclusivity and representation, power and agency, and policy and institutional coherence. The chapter may also identify gaps and limitations, as well as assess reform proposals for improving earth system governance.
Governance through Plurilateral Institutions
Coordinating Lead Authors
- Jayaram, Dhanasree | Manipal Institute of Higher Education
- Sun, Yixian | University of Bath
Abstract
Plurilateral governance has become an increasingly central feature of earth system governance as geopolitical turbulence, power asymmetries and fragmented governance systems limit the effectiveness of multilateral institutions in addressing planetary crises. Plurilateral governance is defined as collaborative arrangements in which a subset of states voluntarily coordinate to pursue collective action; it encompasses a range of formal, quasi formal and informal international institutions operating the United Nations system. Examples are issue specific alliances, climate clubs, technology partnerships, regional bodies and transnational networks that mobilize material and normative resources to address global challenges. Despite their rising prominence in earth system governance, the conditions under which such plurilateral arrangements deliver effective, equitable and legitimate outcomes remain insufficiently understood. This chapter synthesizes the literature to survey plurilateral governance arrangements addressing environmental and sustainability challenges, identifying their driving forces and assessing their effectiveness. By considering different types of plurilateralism, the chapter identifies the enabling and constraining conditions shaping the rise and performance of plurilateral governance in a turbulent geopolitical era.
Governance through Sustainable Development Goals
Coordinating Lead Authors
- Hickmann, Thomas | Lund University
- Malekpour, Shirin | Monash University
Abstract
This chapter assesses the political impact of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on public and private actors across different governance levels. It builds on the first comprehensive scientific assessment of the governance dimensions of the SDGs published in 2022. While the earlier assessment covered SDG implementation from 2015 to 2020, this chapter focuses on most recent studies published between 2021 to 2026. This period has been shaped by a global pandemic, rising geopolitical conflicts and backlashes against sustainable development policies in many countries. At the same time, the SDGs have become increasingly embedded in the work of international organizations, political-administrative systems, corporate strategies and the advocacy work of non-governmental organizations. Drawing on a systematic synthesis of the literature, the chapter offers a nuanced evaluation of the state of the governance through, and for, SDG implementation.
Governance through Public Participation
Coordinating Lead Authors
- Mert, Ayşem | University of Stockholm
- Pickering, Jonathan | University of Canberra
Abstract
Public participation is widely seen as enhancing the implementation and effectiveness of earth system governance, while also strengthening public acceptance, legitimacy and democratic accountability. Indeed, the involvement of citizens and stakeholders beyond the nation-state has been central to the very emergence of the idea of governance. Yet assumptions about the environmental benefits of public participation are increasingly contested, both by anti-environmental populists and by those who argue that the urgency of environmental crises demand more technocratic forms of leadership. In this context, public participation refers both to the inclusion of citizens, non-state actors, civil society and other stakeholders in environmental decision-making, and to efforts by communities and social movements to claim influence through protest, resistance and prefigurative political practices. Participation can therefore take both institutionalized forms initiated by public authorities or community-driven forms. Participatory and democratic innovations (including climate citizens’ assemblies, participatory budgeting and digital engagement methods) have been developed across governance levels to broaden public influence over policy. By synthesizing insights from recent earth system governance scholarship, this chapter maps participatory practices across scales, and assesses which practices, and under what conditions, contribute to ambitious and effective policy decisions, improve institutional performance and legitimacy, and enhance adaptiveness and reflexivity in the face of environmental change and anticipated climate disruptions.
Governance of Just Transitions
Coordinating Lead Authors
- Karlsson, Mikael | Uppsala University
- Okereke, Chukwumerije | University of Bristol
- Stevis, Dimitris | Colorado state university
Abstract
This chapter assesses the governance of just transitions as a central challenge in earth system governance, examining how political, institutional and economic arrangements shape the pursuit of equitable sustainability transformations. The chapter evaluates competing conceptualizations of justice, the role of power and political economy and the performance of governance arrangements and policies across global, national and subnational levels. It assesses the degree of consensus on the normative importance of just transitions and possible disagreement regarding their operationalization, particularly in the Global South where development imperatives intersect with decarbonization pressures. The chapter also explores structural constraints arising from global inequality, fragmented governance and competing geopolitical interests, while seeking to identify emerging pathways that may enable more equitable and context-sensitive transitions.
Governance of Earth System Dynamics
Coordinating Lead Authors
- Kim, Rakhyun E. | Utrecht University
- Kotzé, Louis | Wageningen University
- Milkoreit, Manjana | University of Oslo
Abstract
This chapter assesses the literature on the development of governance responses to novel scientific concepts concerned with earth system dynamics. There seems to be a fundamental disconnect between insights developed in earth system sciences about earth system dynamics, on the one hand, and how law, governance and political systems respond to these insights, on the other. The chapter assesses the extent to which politics, law and governance are able to respond to changing knowledge about earth system destabilization and its implications for planetary health. Key concepts include the planetary boundaries and earth system tipping points. The chapter also explores central factors and processes inhibiting the possible emergence of governance mechanisms for earth system change and the opportunities that might advance them.
Governance of Novel Technologies
Coordinating Lead Authors
- Gupta, Aarti | Wageningen University
- Rabitz, Florian | Kaunas University of Technology
Abstract
This chapter assesses literature on the governance of emerging or potential novel technologies, with a focus on five fields: solar radiation modification, carbon dioxide removal, synthetic biology, space technology and deep-sea mining. These five areas are well-defined policy fields subject to intense academic and policy debate. They have been selected due the scale of their potential impacts, both positive and negative, on the earth system. Solar radiation modification could slow down or halt anthropogenic global warming while posing grave environmental risks and possibly deterring greenhouse gas mitigation. Carbon dioxide removal is often seen as a technological complement for long-term mitigation pathways yet is likely to cause severe negative spillover effects on global sustainable development when deployed at scale. Synthetic biology entails radical new methods for genetic engineering and for the utilization of digitalized genetic sequence data, while posing complex biosafety risks and equity challenges. Space technology, from satellite systems to potential space resource extraction, holds potential for growth, innovation and scientific exploration, while creating environmental and ethical challenges in outer space. Deep-sea mining, finally, holds out the prospect of extracting valuable minerals for energy security and the energy transition, but would likely cause severe harm to marine biodiversity.