Earth Systems Governance Project moves head office to Uppsala University

The Earth System Governance Project (ESGP) is a global research network aimed at advancing knowledge at the intersection of global environmental change and governance. The network connects and mobilizes scholars from the social sciences and humanities who conduct research at both local and global levels.

Now, the ESGP’s International Project Office will be hosted at the Uppsala University and places at the Department of Geosciences. This will bringing several benefits.

“I expect that researchers at Uppsala will now have better opportunities to apply for funding and more easily participate in global research projects.”

IPO – The Central Hub

The International Project Office (IPO) is the operational core of the global research network Earth System Governance. It drives the network by planning, coordinating, organizing, and communicating the work of its various programs and working groups. Given that several hundred researchers around the world are part of the network, this is a substantial undertaking.

Mikael Karlsson to Lead the IPO

As the IPO now moves to Uppsala, it will operate within the framework of CCL – Climate Change Leadership. Mikael Karlsson, Associate Professor in Environmental Science and Senior Lecturer in Climate Leadership at the Department of Geosciences, will lead the IPO's work in Sweden. He is honored to have been entrusted with the role and looks forward to steering the office, with hopes of fostering excellent and societally relevant research in collaboration with the wider world.

“The research we conduct at CCL fits naturally within the scope of the ESGP network. This new role gives us great opportunities to connect and learn from others, while also sharing the knowledge and science-based recommendations we develop,” says Mikael Karlsson.

Mikael’s role at the IPO is to lead its operations, and he also serves as a member of the network’s Scientific Steering Committee, alongside twelve other scholars from across the globe.

“It is always inspiring to engage in a global scientific context—and it’s absolutely essential if humanity is to address the threefold planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Without research, we wouldn’t understand much about either the problems or the solutions. At the same time, this appointment is a recognition of the work we’re doing at CCL—which is, of course, very gratifying,” Mikael Karlsson concludes.

New Staff at CCL

In addition to Mikael Karlsson, Judith Lundberg-Felten now serves as Project Coordinator for the International Project Office (IPO). Two new team members have also been recruited.

“With our two new stars, Hang Nguyen and Karin Thalberg, we now have a truly fantastic group collaborating closely with the Scientific Steering Committee,” says Mikael Karlsson.

IPO Plans for the Next Five Years

In the short term, Mikael Karlsson explains, the goal is to build the necessary structures for the office to strengthen the network and streamline key processes. A relocation of the office—and possibly a large website—between countries requires substantial coordination. ESGP will also support the organization of the Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference (NESS), which CCL has been entrusted to host in June next year. This will be the first time in over 30 years that NESS is held at Uppsala University.

Looking further ahead, Karlsson hopes that CCL can contribute to developing the network:

“It’s about engaging more scholars from the Global South, opening up more opportunities for early-career researchers, and further developing the network’s journal and publication series. I also believe that strengthening our connections with decision-makers is crucial—especially now, as efforts toward the global sustainability goals are being questioned. Within a few years, we’ll also be developing a new global research and implementation plan for the network,” he says.

Improved Opportunities for Uppsala Researchers

With Uppsala University now hosting the IPO, there will be significantly improved opportunities for Uppsala-based researchers to engage in the network—especially in generating knowledge at the intersection of global challenges and governance aimed at addressing them.

“We’re not going to create unfair shortcuts, of course, but we can certainly facilitate connections, participation, and matching of expertise. I expect researchers here will have better chances to secure funding and participate in global research projects. And we also plan to host one of the network’s global conferences in Uppsala, hopefully during the university’s anniversary year in 2027. This work will be visible both inside and outside the university,” Mikael Karlsson explains.

IPO Coordination with UUniCORN and UUniFI

The next five years promise to be exciting ones for the IPO in Sweden. Mikael Karlsson has several ideas and plans for how to develop the office's activities—but he also wants to wait and see how UUniCORN and UUniFI evolve:

“There’s a lot of exciting development happening within UUniCORN and UUniFI, and it’s important that everything is well-coordinated. So I don’t want to get ahead of things. It’s also not out of the question that we might raise our ambitions within ESGP, with more years and more activities. But that would require additional funding, a larger team—and most importantly, stronger collaboration within Uppsala University. We have both an exciting and important time ahead,” Mikael Karlsson concludes.