News & Events

Election as Vice-Chair EEA

On 26.10.2022, the members of the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency (EEA) in Copenhagen have elected Louis Meuleman as one of the two vice chairs of the Comittee. […]

Public Administration for the Sustainable Future of our Societies

The annual conference of public administration scholars united in the European Group for Public Administration of IIAS took place on 6-9 September in Lisbon. With the general topic on the challenges sustainability poses for public administration, Louis Meuleman was tasked as ‘shadow rapporteur’ of the plenary sessions. A report will be ready soon. […]

Mainstreaming SDGs in Regulatory Impact Assessment: report published

From December 2021 until July 2022, thirteen (and ultimately seventeen) EU Member States, the European Commission and the OECD participated in a dynamic and highly interactive project aiming at mainstreaming the SDGs into RIA procedures. On 05.09.2022, Germany decided to finance an extension of the project, until 1st March 2023.

The report of the first phase of this project is available for download here:

Download Part 1. Main Report

Download Part 2. Workshop Reports

Download Project Summary

UN CEPA papers now online

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) held its twenty-first session from 4 to 8 April 2022 under the overall theme of “Transforming institutions and governance to build forward better towards 2030.” Louis Meuleman participated as CEPA member and was reconfirmed as vice chair. The programme and the official session papers are online. Also the video registrations of all sessions are available online. […]

Covid-19 and Metagovernance

AUG 2021 – In a column in the PA Times of the American Society for Public Administration, Mauricio Covarrubias concludes that national leadership and coordinated action will remain critical and require metagovernance. “Challenges such as COVID-19 make it necessary to focus attention on a meta-level governance in which governments must demonstrate the ability to join together the multiplicity of organizations and interests to form a coherent policy fabric. (See: X. Wu, M. Ramesh & M. Howlett’s 2015 work, “Policy capacity: A conceptual framework for understanding policy competences and capabilities.” Similarly, Louis Meuleman, Vice Chairman of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA), in his book Metagovernance for Sustainability: A Framework for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, argues that complex political challenges require meta-governance based on systems thinking, a comprehensive approach (taking into account all relevant aspects) and also a holistic view. In times where interdependence and global challenges are constantly increasing, the political capacity of central governments will be related to the ability to coordinate a unified national response between different level

[…]

This website is under reconstruction; not all pages are fully available

Podcast climate governance

JUL 2021 – Diederik Samsom (Cabinet Head of Exec VP Timmermans, European Commission), Louis Meuleman (ps4sd and Berenschot), and Frederik van Dalfsen (Berenschot) discuss in a podcast governance responses to complex systemic challenges such as climate change.

[…]

2nd term appointment at UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration

JUL 2021 – On 22 July 2021, the UN ECOSOC Council approved the nomination by UN Secretary General Mr António Guterres to appoint Louis Meuleman for a 2nd term of 4 years as member of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA).

[…]

Appointment at EEA Scientific Committee

DEC 2020 – Louis was appointed on 10.12.2020 as member of the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency EEA, for the topics sustainability and foresight, and for a period of 4 years. This is a part-time assignment. Read more. […]

“European Green Deal is really ambitious”

When the European Green Deal was adopted by he European Commission on 11 December 2019, Ingeborg commented this on ‘Spiegel Online’. With the “European Green Deal”, the head of the Euopean Commission is not yet presenting a package of measures defined in every detail, but is merely drawing up the route for future EU climate policy. Even if a lot is still unclear, the direction is right, experts say: “This is a really big step,” says Ingeborg Niestroy, EU expert at the Potsdam Institute for Transformative Sustainability Research (IASS). […]

UN CEPA: The place for institutional reform for the SDGs

UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin: “CEPA is the only body in the ECOSOC system dedicated to institution building in its many forms. Progress in this area is a foundation of progress on all the Sustainable Development Goals.” Louis: Feeling very honored and grateful to be able to serve as one of the members of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration. CEPA is currently going through it’s 19th session in a virtual format – but with excellent, extremely stimulating and informed discussions, supported by a fantastic Secretariat at UN DESA. […]

CEPA session on principles of effective SD governance

On 15th May 2020, Louis moderated the 2nd virtual session of the UN Cie. of Experts on Public Administration on Effective governance for sustainable […]

CEPA session on acceleration SDGs & Workforce of the future

On 13th May 2020, Louis presented during the 1st virtual 2020 session of the UN Cie. of Experts on Public Administration, on Promoting effective […]

New PS4SD associate: Sally Nicholson

We welcome Sally Nicholson as associate of PS4SD. Sally has been working on sustainable development in the NGO sector for more than 30 years, based in London and Brussels. She has focussed on the integration of environmental issues in international development, most recently as Head of Development Policy and Funding for the WWF European Policy Office, and has worked extensively on the Rio processes, the Millennium Development Goals and is still working on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Sally has gained experience in working across both the environment and development sectors including on issues such as policy coherence for development and working closely with civil society actors, government and business. […]

Andreas Versmann – Associate

Andreas Versmann is a Berlin-based expert in environmental law, governance and capacity building measures and events. He is an independent policy adviser in environmental law and governance, with profound experience in transition management towards a low carbon and circular economy. He provides guidance in multi-stakeholder policy-making and creating innovative partnerships. He is well-versed in managing conferences, hearings, workshops governmental and non-governmental stakeholders as well as an excellent moderator. […]

(Meta)governance & SDGs presentations in 2019 in 10 countries

In 2019, ps4sd (Louis and/or Ingeborg) was invited to give keynotes, lectures or training in 10 countries in 3 global regions: Asia (Azerbaijan, Republic […]

UN CEPA session New York 8-12 April

The annual session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) took place from 8-12 April at the UN Head Quarters in New York. As CEPA member and member of the Bureau (currently Rapporteur), Louis is involved in programming, preparing and chairing sessions. […]

Metagovernance for Sustainability awarded as one of the Best New Sustainability Books

Louis’ book “Metagovernance for Sustainability: A Framework for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (Routledge)”, made it to BookAuthority’s “Best New Sustainability Books to read in 2019″, […]

Senior Fellow at IASS Potsdam

On 15 February 2019, Ingeborg started as senior fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, Germany.

Presentations based on ‘Metagovernance for Sustainability’

2019-10-30 Helsinki – ESDN conference 2019-05-24 Brussels – Master PA group NSOB 2019-04-25 Zagreb – EU ESF Network meeting 2019-04-24 Zagreb – Public Finance […]

Club of Rome EU-Chapter

The Club of Rome EU-Chapter organised on 7 November in Brussels a ‘Conversation Table’ with an introduction by Louis on his book ‘Metagovernance for […]

Sustainable Development Transition Forum, Korea

Ingeborg discussing with Jan-Gustav Strandenaes (a.o. associate of ps4sd) and UN’s Jean D’ Aragon, with Louis at the back, at the 2018 Sustainable Development Transition […]

Book launch event 17 Oct 2018

The Centre for European Policy Studies and the University of Leuven organised a book launch event on Louis’ new book ‘Metagovernance for Sustainability’ in Brussels on 17.10.2018. Geert Bouckaert moderated an expert & practitioners’ panel with Daniel Calleja Crespo, Saïd El Khadraoui, Andrea Renda, David Le Blanc, Ingeborg Niestroy, Ebba Dohlman, Roeland in ‘t Veld, Daniele Dotto and Karl Falkenberg, for around 100 participants. […]