Frank Biermann

Frank Biermann is a Professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geosciences. He is a leading scholar in global institutions for sustainability, with over 28,000 citations and an H-index of 81.

• Expertise in Earth System Governance, Climate Policy, International Relations, Anthropocene
• Founder of the Earth System Governance Project, a transdisciplinary network of over 500 scholars
• Current €2.5M research program on SDG steering effects via ERC Advanced Grant

His 200+ peer-reviewed articles and 20 books, including The Political Impact of the Sustainable Development Goals (2022) and Anthropocene Encounters (2019), focus on institutional complexity, global justice, and fragmented governance architectures. Recent works examine solar geoengineering ethics, trade union sustainability integration, and decolonizing academic publishing.

Scientific awards include the 2024 Volvo Environment Prize, 2021 Distinguished Scholar Award (ISA), and 2019 Ecological Society of America’s Innovations in Sustainability Science Award. He chairs the Earth System Governance Foundation and serves on multiple advisory committees, including the Stockholm Environment Institute’s science board.