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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

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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.

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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. […]

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. […]

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. […]

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.

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 Sustainability’.

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 Forum in Incheon, Republic of Korea, on 29-31 October 2018. The Forum [...]

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. […]

SD & Transformation – Workshop Freiburg

Ingeborg and Louis were invited speakers at the Workshop “Nachhaltige Entwicklung: Ein neuer, globaler Transformationstypus?” at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany, on 26 & 27 October 2018.

SD research agenda in Kassel

On 19th September 2018, Louis spoke at the Agenda conference ‘Social-ecologic sustainability research’  in Kassel, Germany, about policy coherence for sustainable development. The conference was organised by the German Ministry of Science and Education.   [...]

Results Peer Review of SDS Hessen (2018)

As a member of the Peer Review team of the Sustainable Development Strategy of the German region of Hessen, Ingeborg and colleagues presented their final results to the Hessian Minister of the Environment Priska Hinz. [...]

VNR-LAB in New York

On 17th July 2018, Louis was discussant at one of the new VNR (Voluntary National Review) LABs organised by UN DESA during the High Level Political Forum 2018 in New York. Through a video connection [...]

UN Public Service Forum 2018 in Marrakech

On 21 June 2018, Louis chaired two sessions and gave a presentation at the UN Public Service Forum 2018 in Marrakech, Morocco (21-23 June 2018). Ingeborg was an invited participant.

Transformative Designs for Sustainability

Ingeborg participated 18-20 June 2018 in a “Transformation Lab” on  Transformative Designs for Sustainability: Facilitating Mindshifts and Collective Action for Anthropocene-Prosperity, conceptualised by the Collective Leadership Institute and IASS, and organised by the VW Stiftung, in Hannover, Germany.

SDGs, Climate and the Future of Europe (Milan)

On 31 May 2018, Inge co-moderated a panel, together with Peter Schmidt, the new President of the EESC’s Sustainable Development Observatory, at the conference “SDGs, Climate and the Future of Europe” which is hosted by ASviS, [...]

Civil Society Indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals

Inge spoke on a panel on 28 May in the hearing “Civil Society Indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals” of the EESC’s Sustainable Development Observatory (SDO). https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/agenda/our-events/events/civil-society-indicators-sustainable-development-goals

Guest lecture Vrije Universiteit Brussel

On 7 May 2018, Louis gave a guest lecture on EU environmental governance, European Semester and Environmental Implementation Review to an international group of post-doctoral students of the VUB (Free University Brussels), Belgium.

Vice-chair of CEPA

[April 2018] At the 17th session of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration at the UN HQ in New York, Louis was elected as one of the three vice chairs for this session [...]

17th Session of CEPA in New York

[April 2018] From 23-27 April 2018, Louis participated as member at the 17th annual session of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration in New York and present his paper on ‘Promoting policy and institutional coherence [...]

SDGs at the CEPS Ideas Lab

[Febr 2018] On 22 February 2018 at the CEPS Ideas Lab, Ingeborg moderated a panel discussion on SDG implementation in and by the EU, framed as “What instruments for sustainable growth?”, with Enrico Giovannini, Helena Braun [...]

SDG implementation in 6 Western Balkan countries

Ingeborg was researcher in a study conducted end of 2017 by the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), commissioned by UNDP and UNECE, on SDG implementation in six Western Balkan countries. The study was [...]

Keynote at CSR & SDGs conference in Nigeria

[Nov 2017] Louis gave a keynote speech at the conference “Exploring the relationship between CSR and sustainable development in Africa”, on 20-21 November 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria. It is the 3rd African Conference on Business [...]

Lecturing in Lille (2017-18)

[Oct 2017] Ingeborg teaches a master course on EU food policy at the Catholic University of Lille, starting in October 2017. A number of “Food Controversies” are discussed with guest lecturers from NGOs and EU [...]

Policy Coordinator for ECOLISE

In 2017, Ingeborg worked part-time as policy coordinator for ECOLISE, the European network for community-led initiatives on climate change and sustainability. She worked on a policy strategy, established and deepened links and partnerships in Brussels, [...]

Appointment as Member of UN CEPA (2018-2021)

[July 2017] On nomination by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Louis was appointed on 26th July 2017 as Member of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) from 1st January 2018 until 31st July 2021, [...]

SDGs and RIA in Georgia (July-Nov 2017)

[July 2017] Ingeborg Niestroy has worked at a project of the GIZ in Georgia on integrating Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals in Regulatory Impact Assessment. She conducted workshops for public servants and academia, [...]

Keynote speech at SDG conference in Vienna

[June 2017] Ingeborg was keynote speaker at the conference “How we can achieve the SDGs? – The way to sustainability”, which took place on 1st June in Vienna. The event was a contribution to the [...]

Presentation on metagovernance in Noordwijk

[March 2017] Louis presented theory & practice of metagovernance & more for a group of Dutch public managers during the NSOB IML-30 training, on 22th March 2017, in Noordwijk aan Zee (NL).

Moderation at SDG SIDS conference in Nassau (Febr 2017)

Louis moderated a session during the Symposium on “Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SAMOA Pathway in Small Island Developing States – SIDS: Equipping Public Institutions and Mobilizing Partnerships”, organised by the Government of the Commonwealth [...]