Johannes Förster

Dr. Johannes Förster is a Researcher at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany, working within the Department of Environmental Politics under the Environment and Society research area. He serves as a member of the UFZ Science-Policy Expert Group and lectures on Economics of Global Environmental Change at the University of Bayreuth's MSc Programme in Global Change Ecology since 2017. His work bridges scientific research with international policy frameworks including UNFCCC, CBD, and IPBES.

Dr. Förster earned his MSc in Global Change Ecology from the University of Bayreuth (2006-2009), where he completed his thesis on REDD potential in Western Ghana. He also holds an MSc in Physical Geography and BSc in Biology from Umea University, Sweden (2004-2006), and studied Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation at the University of Greifswald (2001-2003).

His research focuses on ecosystem services valuation, climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, and the integration of biodiversity considerations into economic and corporate reporting systems. He leads the BMBF-funded Bio-Mo-D project on modernizing economic accounting for biodiversity in Germany and contributes to the BioNET project assessing bio-based negative emission technologies. His work examines the intersection of environmental science and policy implementation, particularly regarding The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) framework and REDD+ initiatives.

Analysis of his recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong emphasis on integrating biodiversity considerations into economic and corporate reporting systems, with particular focus on German policy implementation. His work spans environmental economics, climate policy, and sustainability accounting, with recurring themes of carbon dioxide removal technologies, ecosystem service valuation, and policy coherence between international frameworks and national implementation.

• Member of the Ecosystem Service Partnership (ESP)
• Member of IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM)
• Alumnus of Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship Foundation)
• 2010-2011: Member of review panel for ecosystem services assessment in Alberta, Canada

Dr. Förster has secured substantial research funding through multiple BMBF projects including BioNET (since 2022), Bio-Mo-D (since 2021), and previous projects under the International Climate Initiative (IKI) totaling millions of euros. His work involves extensive international collaboration with UNEP, GIZ, The Nature Conservancy, and academic institutions worldwide. He has contributed to major international assessments including IPBES and TEEB, supporting national ecosystem assessments and capacity building in developing countries.

As part of the UFZ's Department of Environmental Politics, Dr. Förster works within the broader Environment and Society research area, collaborating with colleagues on projects related to sustainable finance, corporate biodiversity accounting, and climate policy coherence. His research group focuses on developing methods for integrating ecosystem services into policy and decision-making processes, with growing emphasis on the intersection of biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.