Future Earth Global Research Projects

Future Earth Global Research Projects
Name	Future Earth Global Research Projects
Formation	2012
Type	International research programme
Headquarters	Montreal
Region served	Global

Contents

Future Earth Global Research Projects

Future Earth Global Research Projects is an international research mobilization initiative created to accelerate transdisciplinary science on global environmental change and sustainable development. The program connects networks of scientists, institutions, and multilateral organizations to coordinate research agendas, synthesize evidence, and inform policy processes such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It convenes research projects that link scholarship associated with entities like the International Council for Science, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Meteorological Organization, and the World Bank.

Overview

Future Earth Global Research Projects operates as a platform for coordinating long-term, multinational research agendas spanning climate, land, oceans, cities, and societal transformations. It acts alongside major initiatives such as International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Global Environment Facility, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The initiative emphasizes co-design with stakeholders including the European Commission, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and regional consortia like the African Academy of Sciences and the Asian Development Bank.

The program emerged from deliberations among science organizations and funders following landmark events such as the Rio+20 Conference and the report by the InterAcademy Council. It consolidated efforts previously led by programs like the World Climate Research Programme and the International Human Dimensions Programme to form a unified agenda. Key milestones include endorsement by the Group on Earth Observations and formal launch at multi-stakeholder meetings involving the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the G20, and the United Nations General Assembly. Prominent scientific figures and institutional leaders from the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences (United States), and the Max Planck Society contributed to formative strategy papers.

The research themes span climate systems, biodiversity, land-use change, ocean science, urban transitions, food systems, and sustainable consumption and production. These priorities intersect with reports and frameworks from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Group of Seven, and the World Health Organization on planetary health and resilience. Methodological emphases include integrated assessment modeling used by teams at Princeton University, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, participatory action research aligned with the United Nations Development Programme, and earth observation driven by European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency missions.

Major coordinated projects under the umbrella involve cross-cutting programs addressing topics such as urban resilience, ocean acidification, permafrost thaw, food security, and Arctic amplification. These initiatives often partner with large-scale observatories and consortia including International Ocean Discovery Program, Arctic Council, Global Carbon Project, Global Water System Project, and the Future Earth Knowledge-Action Networks. Collaborative studies have produced syntheses informing the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Convention on Migratory Species.

Governance arrangements draw on boards and secretariats with representatives from academic institutions, philanthropic foundations, and multilateral agencies. Advisory structures have included members from the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization when assessing economic transformation scenarios, while research steering committees have featured scholars from Columbia University, University of Oxford, and Peking University. Funding has come from diversified sources such as national research councils including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, philanthropic organizations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, and bilateral aid agencies including United States Agency for International Development and Department for International Development (UK).

The program sustains partnerships with global, regional, and thematic partners: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, regional bodies like the European Environment Agency and the African Union, and disciplinary networks such as the Society for Conservation Biology and the American Geophysical Union. It also engages private sector partners through dialogues with corporations and investors connected to the World Economic Forum and institutional actors like the International Finance Corporation and major philanthropic donors.

Outputs include assessment reports, data portals co-developed with the Global Change Data Lab, scenario narratives used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national governments, and capacity-building programs implemented with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and regional universities. The program’s science has influenced milestones such as national climate pledges submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and biodiversity targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Its role in shaping research-policy interfaces is reflected in collaborations with the High-Level Panel on Water and advisory contributions to the World Health Assembly on environment-linked health risks.

Category:International environmental research programs