Earth System Governance Project
| Abbreviation | ESG Project |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2009 (planning phase 2006-2008) |
| Founder | Developed under IHDP |
| Type | Nonprofit organization, network or alliance |
| Focus | Support the research community for earth system governance through networking, task forces, conferences, publications |
| Headquarters | Uppsala University, Sweden (from 2025 onwards) |
Region served | Worldwide |
Co-chairs | Cristina Inoue and Jonathan Pickering |
| Funding | Various (for example Uppsala University, Zennström Philanthropies, Earth System Governance Foundation) |
| Website | www |
The Earth System Governance Project (ESG Project) is a global research network that "aims to advance knowledge at the interface between global environmental change and governance. The network connects and mobilizes scholars from the social sciences and humanities researching at local and global scales".
The ESG Project has its origins in an international program called the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change. In its current form, the ESG Project began in January 2009. Over time, it has evolved into a broader research alliance that builds on an international network of research centers, lead faculty, senior research fellows and research fellows. It is now the largest social science research network in the area of governance and global environmental change.
The Climate Change Leadership Unit at Uppsala University in Sweden is currently hosting the ESG Project secretariat, called the International Project Office (IPO). The ESG Project IPO has previously been hosted at the United Nations University in Bonn, Germany (2009-2012), Lund University in Sweden (2012-2018), and Utrecht University in the Netherlands (2019-2024).