Joyeeta Gupta is Professor of Environment and Development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam and Professor at IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education. Previously, she was professor on Climate Change Policy and Law at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. She won the highest academic recognition in the Netherlands – the Spinoza prize in 2023 (1.5M€ for 2024-2029), the Amsterdam Impact Prize in 2025, the 2022 Piers Sellers Prize for climate research from the Priestley International Centre for Climate, Leeds University; and the Atmospheric Science Librarians International (ASLI) Choice Award for 2014 in its history category for Cambridge University Press Book: History of Global Climate Governance. Professor Gupta has a European Research Council Advanced Grant (€2.5M for 2021-2026) on climate change and big investors.
She is on the editorial board of several environmental and law journals, was lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1998-2014) and of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. She has co-edited 15 books and 14 special issues on climate change, water, forest, urban governance, and development cooperation. Her Google Scholar Impact Factor is 74. She has successfully supervised 33 PhDs and is currently supervising 20 PhD students on environment and development issues.
She has led, or participated in, acquiring more than 60 projects from funding agencies including the European Commission and the National Science Foundation in the Netherlands. She participated in the design and signature of The Rome Declaration of 2017 on the Human Right to Water, initiated by the Pope and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Vatican City and is a life-member of the Netherlands Royal Academy of Sciences.
Joyeeta Gupta is Co-chair, UN Secretary General Appointed Group of Ten High-level Representatives of Civil Society, Private Sector and Scientific Community to Promote Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs. She is also currently Commissioner, Roadmap for Transformative Action to Achieve Health for All at Net-Zero Emissions, National Academy of Medicine, USA. She was co-chair role of the Earth Commission (2019-2024) which has published in Nature and Lancet Planetary Health and presented results at the World Economic Forum plenary in Davos, 2023. She was co-chair of UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook-6: Healthy Planet, Healthy People (2016-2019) whose report won the 2019 Association of American Publishers PROSE award for Environmental Science.
She has been on many scientific steering committees including Future Earth’s Earth System Governance programme (2008-2018), Science Europe’s Scientific Committee for the Sciences (2016-2018). She is on the Supervisory Board of SNV Netherlands Development Organization. She was the Vice-chair of the Commission on Development Cooperation (2011-2019) and member of the Advisory Council on International Affairs (2011-2019), a statutory body that advises three Cabinet Ministers in the Netherlands. She is currently vicechair of the Curatorium of the Prins Claus Chair on Equity and Development.
Finally, she was a lead author in IPCC special and main reports between 1988-2014, during which period IPCC won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. She was also a lead author in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment which won the second Zayed Prize in 2005.
Law, politics, policy, governance, climate justice, earth system boundaries, water justice, global constitutionalism
Environment (climate change, forests, ecosystems, leaving fossil fuels underground), Water, Energy and Development, Ecospace, Sharign our Earth
adaptive, inclusive multi-level governance; changing governance patterns; human rights and environmental principles; adaptive capacity, climate justice, global constitutionalism
Joyeeta Gupta is Professor of Environment and Development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam and Professor at IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education. Previously, she was professor on Climate Change Policy and Law at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. She won the highest academic recognition in the Netherlands – the Spinoza prize in 2023 (1.5M€ for 2024-2029), the Amsterdam Impact Prize in 2025, the 2022 Piers Sellers Prize for climate research from the Priestley International Centre for Climate, Leeds University; and the Atmospheric Science Librarians International (ASLI) Choice Award for 2014 in its history category for Cambridge University Press Book: History of Global Climate Governance. Professor Gupta has a European Research Council Advanced Grant (€2.5M for 2021-2026) on climate change and big investors.
She is on the editorial board of several environmental and law journals, was lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1998-2014) and of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. She has co-edited 15 books and 14 special issues on climate change, water, forest, urban governance, and development cooperation. Her Google Scholar Impact Factor is 74. She has successfully supervised 33 PhDs and is currently supervising 20 PhD students on environment and development issues.
She has led, or participated in, acquiring more than 60 projects from funding agencies including the European Commission and the National Science Foundation in the Netherlands. She participated in the design and signature of The Rome Declaration of 2017 on the Human Right to Water, initiated by the Pope and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Vatican City and is a life-member of the Netherlands Royal Academy of Sciences.
Joyeeta Gupta is Co-chair, UN Secretary General Appointed Group of Ten High-level Representatives of Civil Society, Private Sector and Scientific Community to Promote Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs. She is also currently Commissioner, Roadmap for Transformative Action to Achieve Health for All at Net-Zero Emissions, National Academy of Medicine, USA. She was co-chair role of the Earth Commission (2019-2024) which has published in Nature and Lancet Planetary Health and presented results at the World Economic Forum plenary in Davos, 2023. She was co-chair of UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook-6: Healthy Planet, Healthy People (2016-2019) whose report won the 2019 Association of American Publishers PROSE award for Environmental Science.
She has been on many scientific steering committees including Future Earth’s Earth System Governance programme (2008-2018), Science Europe’s Scientific Committee for the Sciences (2016-2018). She is on the Supervisory Board of SNV Netherlands Development Organization. She was the Vice-chair of the Commission on Development Cooperation (2011-2019) and member of the Advisory Council on International Affairs (2011-2019), a statutory body that advises three Cabinet Ministers in the Netherlands. She is currently vicechair of the Curatorium of the Prins Claus Chair on Equity and Development.
Finally, she was a lead author in IPCC special and main reports between 1988-2014, during which period IPCC won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. She was also a lead author in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment which won the second Zayed Prize in 2005.
Law, politics, policy, governance, climate justice, earth system boundaries, water justice, global constitutionalism
Environment (climate change, forests, ecosystems, leaving fossil fuels underground), Water, Energy and Development, Ecospace, Sharign our Earth
adaptive, inclusive multi-level governance; changing governance patterns; human rights and environmental principles; adaptive capacity, climate justice, global constitutionalism
59. Blueprint for an Integrated Glocal Wa-ter Security Assessment (2025 - 2026)
58. CLIMARES
2025 - 2030: Climate Resilience in Diverse African Con-texts: Co-creating Knowledge ∞ Action Chains (Climares)
57. GROW
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Cofund: 7.8 Million plus 8 million € from universities
56. Topic: Global Constitution Project
Led by Distinguished Professor Joyeeta Gupta, Spinoza Award winner (2023), the Global Constitution Project aims to draft a Global Constitution that addresses rights and responsibilities in the Anthropocene era. The Draft Constitution will promote social wellbeing and environmental sustainability in a fair and equitable world. The key components of the project will include scientific research into various aspects of global governance and constitutionalism through 3 funded PhDs at the University of Amsterdam. We will also include perspectives from contributing authors, providing fresh and diverse ideas as well as results from workshops and collaborative discussions to refine the draft constitution. The project invites individuals from anywhere in the world to contribute by submitting a 1000-word essay on what a 21st-century global constitution should include. The contribution can be sent through this globalconstitution.org Essays that meet the criteria will shape discussions in workshops and scientific research on global governance. Submissions should engage with the project's core themes, offering original, clear, and inclusive perspectives. Essay writers automatically become contributing authors of the Global Constitution.
55. Topic: CLIFF: Climate Change and Fossil Fuels
CLIFF (Climate Change & Fossil Fuels) – led by Principal Investigator Prof. Joyeeta Gupta from the University of Amsterdam – is a research project funded by the European Research Council and runs for a period of five years (Nov 2021- Nov 2026). We argue that to halt climate change, the 2015 Paris Agreement implicitly requires leaving fossil fuels underground (LFFU) and coherent financial flows. This implies stranding huge amounts of fossil fuel resources and assets (worth $16-300 trillion), affecting big investors. Research is scarce on big investors, the implications for developing countries with fossil fuel resources, and how LFFU can be equitably mobilized.
Visit the UvA CLIFF webpage for more information.
54. Topic: New governance architecture for addressing global systemic risks, Global Challenges Foundation, Sweden
This project supports the ongoing work of the Earth Commission on safe and just targets for humanity and the need to identify levers and actors for transformation of governance to ensure that we live within the safe and just targets. It combines conceptualization with literature review and policy analysis. The project team consists of Prof. Joyeeta Gupta, Dr. Crelis Rammelt, Dr. Joeri Scholtens, Klaudia Prodani and student assistants (Keeke van Paassen; Edie Mariner).
53. Topic: Technical Summary of the Global Environment Outlook-6, UNEP.
This project aimed at leading, coordinating and editing the technical summary of the Global Environment Outlook-6. This report is being published by Cambridge University Press (March 2021).
52. Topic: *The Governance of Green and Atmospheric Water in Degrading Environments, University of Amsterdam financed, 2018-2022; project together with IBED/UVA.
This project aims at assessing how green and atmospheric water can be governed. It is a multi-disciplinary project and is a PhD project being conducted by Sofie te Wierik and supervised by Prof. Joyeeta Gupta, Dr. Erik Cameraat and Dr. Yael Artzy Randrup.
51. Topic: *Law and Policy on Water and the Environment, 0.2 fte detacherings project to IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, 2018-2023.
This project calls for teaching water and environmental law and policy and conducting relevant research on this issue, including on water diplomacy at IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education. Recent publications include an edited handbook on water (Springer 2021) and an encyclopedia on water law (Edward Elgar 2021).
50. Topic: Leave fossil fuels underground for sustainable and inclusive development: Co-creating alternative pathways in Africa and Latin America, SDG 13, 15, 16, 2 PhDs shared with CEDLA, NWO. Projectnummer -W 07.303.104
This project aims at analyzing how actors frame arguments in different parts of the world on leaving fossil fuels underground with a particular focus on South Africa and Ecuador. It has two PhD candidates – Arthur Rempel and Carolina Valladares Pasquel and is supervised by Prof. Barbara Hoogenboom and Prof. Joyeeta Gupta. Partners include Prof. Patrick Bond (South Africa) and Prof. Carlos Larrea (Ecuador). It also includes a team of Master’s students. A number of publications on stranded assets, pension funds and export credit agencies have been published.
49. Topic: Governing livelihood diversification and food security, Jane Aggrey, PhD position, NUFFIC, 2017-2021
This PhD project focuses on Reconciling Artisanal/Small-Scale Mining and Food Production in Multi-Functional Landscapes: A Case Study in Ghana. It analyses the mining-farming nexus, combining livelihood analysis at smallholder level (the smallholder perspective) with an analysis of spatial effects at landscape level (the landscape perspective) and a review of institutional arrangements to find entry points for integrated landscape governance of the nexus (the governance perspective) with a view to generating in-depth knowledge on integrated landscape governance of the mining farming nexus. Research methods include participatory mapping, institutional and household surveys, Remote sensing and Geographic Information System. The PhD candidate is Jane Aggrey and she is supervised by Prof. Joyeeta Gupta and Dr. Mirjam Ros Tonen.
48. Topic: Governing post-disaster recovery, Ricardo Fuentabla Fuentes, PhD position, scholarship, 2017-2020
This PhD project focuses on post-disaster governance with an emphasis on the urban environment. It examines experiences in Chile. The PhD candidate is Ricardo Fuentes and he is supervised by Prof. Joyeeta Gupta and Dr. Hebe Verrest.
47. Topic: Comparative groundwater governance research, Gabriela Cuadrado, post doc, EU COFUND project, UNESCO-IHE, 2017-2019.
This post doc project focuses on comparative groundwater governance research – comparing India, Australia, and Costa Rica. The candidate is Gabriela Cuadrado and she is now working on a book manuscript.
46. Topic: Co-Chairing UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook, UNEP, USD 30,000 for support staff, 2017-2019.
This project involved chairing and leading the writing process of the Global Environment Outlook-6 between 2017-2020. It also involved defending the content of the policymakers summary to the Environment Assembly of Ministers at their Conference in 2020. This was the first time that the Outlook was also published by Cambridge University Press.
45. Topic: *Law and Policy on Water and the Environment, 0,2 fte detacherings project to UNESCO-IHE first from the VU and now from the UVA since 2002-2017.
44. Topic:* PhD proposal on transboundary water governance (Shakeel Hayat, UNESCO-IHE/UVA), NUFFIC (contract 104883) (2014-2018, EUR 85000). Expected Output: PhD Thesis.
43. Topic:* PhD Proposal on Human right to water and sanitation (Pedi Obani, UNESCO-IHE/UVA), NUFFIC (contract CF 162/2012), (2013-2016, EUR 85000). Expected Output: PhD Thesis.
42. Topic: * Research on ground water governance (PhD project for Kirstin Conti), UN IGRAC (United Nations International Groundwater Research Centre). (2013-2016 – EUR. 83750). Expected Output: PhD thesis.
41. Topic:** Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation through Alternative Landuses in Rainforests of the Tropics (REDD Alert), EU FP7 (contract number 226310), (2009-2012, 380,500 + co funding 186,800). Output: Edited book plus articles.
40. Topic: *** Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies: Supporting European Climate Policy (ADAM), EU FP7 (GOCE-018476), (2006-2009). Output: Edited Book and papers.
39. Topic:* Institutions for Adaptation: The Capacity and Ability of the Dutch Institutional Framework to Adapt to Climate Change, Climate Changes spatial Planning Programme (2007-2010, 52,480 + matching 47,900 + the budget of the remaining four partner institutes). Output: Report and articles.
38. Topic: Climate Proofing European Capital Flows (with Both Ends) (2010: EUR 47760), Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment.
37. Topic: *** Nationally Appropriate Mitigationa Actions (NAMAs) in Developing Countries: Challenges and Opportunitues, Netherlands Programme on Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis (WAB) Climate Change (2010, EUR 47760). Output: Report.
36. Topic:* Towards a post-2012 climate change policy: Fairness and justice in international climate negotiations, ICCO Interkerkelijke Organisatie voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking (2007: 10,000). Output: Report and policy brief.
35. Topic:* Engaging developing countries in climate change negotiations Study for the European Parliament Study for the European Parliament’s Temporary Committee on Climate Change (CLIM), IP/A/CLIM/IC/2007-111, Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Ecologic (2007). Output: Report.
34. Topic:*** Exploring the Socio-Political Dimensions of Climate Change Mitigation: Analysis of Post 2012 Perceptions of China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, Mexico and the United States (2008), The Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency. Output: Report.
33. Topic:* VIDI person oriented project: Intergovernmental and Private International Environmental Regimes: Compatibility with Good Governance, the Rule of Law and Sustainable Development, NWO, 2002-2008 (EUR 598,509). Output: 1 PhD, several papers.
32. Topic:** Ghana (supervising 2 PhDs and coordinating curriculum development), NUFFIC, (2013). Output: 2 PhDs.
31. Topic:* Assessment of Post 2012 Climate Policy Actions, NRP-WAB (EUR 48,418; 2005). Output: Report.
30. Topic:* Clean and Sustainable: An Evaluation of the Contribution of the Clean Development Mechanism to Sustainable Development in Host Countries, Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague, The Netherlands (EUR 109,460) (2007). Output: Report and paper.
29. Topic: *** Financing Adaptation in Developing Countries: Assessing New Mechanisms, Netherlands Research Programme on Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis for Climate Change (NRP-CC-WAB: 500102025), (2009). Output: Report and article.
28. Topic:*** Sharing the burden of adaptation financing, Directorate General on International Cooperation (2008). Output: Report and paper.
27. Topic: * Assessing Dangerous Climate Impacts for the Netherlands, Netherlands Research Programme on Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis for Climate Change NRP-WAB (2005-2006). Output: Report.
26. Topic:*** Exploring the Socio-Political Dimensions of Climate Change: Analysis of Post 2012 Perceptions of China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Russia and the United States, The Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency (2008). Output: Report
25. Topic: *** Differentiation in the CDM: Options and Impacts, Netherlands Research Programme on Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis for Climate Change (NRP-WAB)/ Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency (EUR 70.000), (2006-2009). Output: Report plus article.
24. Topic:*** Beyond Climate: Options for Broadening Climate Policy, Netherlands Research Programme on Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis for Climate Change NRP-WAB, (2003-2004), Output: Report.
23. Topic:** Francisco Sindico, Marie Curie Training, 2003. Output: Training of Sindico and joint publication.
22. Topic:* Helping Operationalise article Two (HOT): A science-based policy dialogue on fair and effective ways to avoid dangerous interference with the climate system and implications for Post-Kyoto policies, Ministry of Environment (VROM, NL), 139,000, (2002-2003). Output: Report.
21. Topic: **CLIMA – Euro-Asian research and training in climate change management, European Commission Asia-Link project (2005-2007). Output: Teaching materials.
20. Topic:*** Options for Post-Kyoto Climate Policies and International Agreements, National Research Programme on Climate Change, (2003-2004). Output: Report.
19. Topic: * Re-evaluation of the Netherlands Long-Term Climate Targets (NLTCT) (in English) Herijking Nederlandse lange termijn klimaatdoelen (in Nederlands), Netherlands Research Programme on Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis for Climate Change, EUR 227,804; Institute budget 43,840, (2003-2004). Output: Paper and Report
18. Topic: * Alternative development paths: scope for mobilising international resources for funding the development of the power sector in India, Funder: Netherlands Science Foundation: WOTRO/Indo-Dutch Programme on Alternative Development, EUR 65221 + co-funding of EUR 56,000 + Rs 2.5 million for partner (2002-2004); Output: book plus articles.
17. Topic: ** Sustainability Labelling and Certification: Towards an Integrated Legal, Economic, Ecological and Social project, EC Fifth Framework RTD project (EVGI-CT-2000-00031) EUR 139,800; (2000-2004). Output: Book plus articles.
16. Topic:* Assessing Dangerous Climate Impacts for the Netherlands, Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis, Netherlands Research Programme on Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis for Climate Change WAB 500102007, Coordinating research of 6 institutes and about 6 months work for me, Output: Report plus articles.
15. Topic: *** International views on post-Kyoto climate policy implementation, Funder: General Energy Council (Algemene Energieraad -AER) (2001), few weeks for me. Output: report.
14. Topic:* Person oriented project: Climate Change: Regime Development in the Context of Unequal Power Relations, National Science Foundation (NWO) (1998-2000). 2 year’s work. Output: Report and Publications.
13. Topic: ** Strategies for EU Leadership of International Climate and Sustainability Regimes European Leadership on Climate Change, EC-DGXII, About 8 months work for me (1998-2001). Output: Edited Book, Kluwer.
12. Topic:* Encouraging developing country participation in the climate change regime, Funder VROM, About 2 months work (1998). Output: Report.
11. Topic: **Bridging Gaps: Enhancing Technological Collaboration on Environmentally Sound Technologies to Foster Participation and Implementation of the Climate Convention, Funder: National Research Programme on Global Air Pollution and Climate Change (project no. 95362) (2001). About 1 years work for me. Output: Report.
10. Topic: * An Asian Dilemma: Modernising the Electricity Sector in China and India in the context of Rapid Economic Growth and the Concern for Climate Change, Netherlands National Research Programme on Air Pollution and Global Change (1997-2000), I chaired the project, and there was a year’s work for me. Output: Report and papers.
9. Topic: **The Climate Change Convention and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000), 1 month’s work for me. Output: Report
8. Topic:** Preparing for the Conference on Sustainable Development (2000), Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1 months work for me. Output: Report
7. Topic:*** Climate Options for the Long Term (COOL) Global Dialogue project, NRPCC (1995). 1months work for me, Output: Report
6. Topic: Enhancing Policy-Making Capacity under the Framework Convention on Climate Change, EU Contract No. ENV4-CT96-0195 (DGXII-ESCY), 1996-2000, Funded 1.5 years for me, Output: Papers.
5. Topic: International Policies to Address the Greenhouse Effect, Funder NRPCC (1995-1997), Funded last two years of my PhD, Funder IVM/VU, Output: Thesis, published by Kluwer.
4. Topic: International Policies to Address the Greenhouse Effect, Funder NRPCC (1993-1995), Funded first two years of my PhD.
3. Topic: Enhancing the effectiveness of research to assist international climate change policy development, Funder: NRPCC, 1995, 2-3 months for me, Output: Report
2. Topic: Political And Practical Aspects of Joint Implementation in East and South Africa, Netherlands Ministry for Environment (1994-1996), Involving six partners in Africa and 6 months work for me Output: Book
1. Topic: Energy Use and Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Hungary and in the Netherlands: Estimates, Comparisons, Scenarios; Contribution to the National Energy and Environmental Planning in relation to the energy climate issue, Funder: Hungarian Commission for Sustainable Development, Hungarian Ministry for Environment, Netherlands Ministry of Environment, (1993-1994), 2-3 months work for me, Output: Report.