New composition of Environmental Council for 2016-2020 term of office

The newly appointed members of the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) are taking up their work today. The seven experts are appointed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety on the basis of a Cabinet decision for a period of four years. Two members have been reconfirmed for another term while five members have been appointed for the first time. The SRU now consists of the following professors:

Prof. Dr. Christian Calliess is Professor of Public Law and European Law at the Freie Universität Berlin. His research focuses primarily on European, constitutional and environmental law. Prof. Calliess has been a member of the SRU since 2008.

Prof. Dr. Claudia Hornberg is Professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Bielefeld. Her focus lies on the environment and public health, particularly environmental factors affecting human health, ecological health promotion and environmental justice.

Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert is Professor of Energy Economics and Sustainability at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin as well as Head of the department of Energy, Transportation, Environment at the German Institute of Economic Research. Her research focuses on the economic effects of climate, energy and transportation policy.

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Lucht is the Alexander von Humboldt Chair in Sustainability Science at the Department of Geography at Humboldt University in Berlin and Co-Chair of the Department Earth System Analysis at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The focus of his work is on the effects of climate and land use changes, the future of the biosphere as well as environment and earth system analysis.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lamia Messari-Becker is Professor and Director of the Institute of Building Technology and Construction Physics at the University of Siegen. Her research focuses on the areas of energy and resource efficiency, sustainability in the building industry, particularly civil engineering and urban planning, and local climate protection.

Prof. Dr. Manfred Niekisch is professor of International Conservation at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt and Director of the Frankfurt Zoo. The scientific focus of his work lies mainly on strategies and instruments for the sustainable use of natural resources, especially in regard to biodiversity. Prof. Niekisch has been a member of the SRU since 2008.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vera Susanne Rotter is since 2003 professor and head of the group ‘Circular economy and recycling technologies’ at the Technische Universität Berlin. Her main research areas are resource efficiency and improved utilization of secondary raw materials.

The SRU has been advising the Federal Government in questions regarding environmental policy since 1972. It is independent in its work. It has the mandate to assess the state of the environment, to point to undesirable trends and to advise on strategies to counter these developments. The interdisciplinary nature of the council ensures a comprehensive perspective.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bradke, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Faulstich, Prof. Dr. Heidi Foth, Prof. Dr. Karin Holm-Müller und Prof. Dr. Miranda Schreurs have left the council. The newly appointed members warmly thank their predecessors, particularly the long-standing chair of the council Martin Faulstich, for their engaged work and their well-founded contributions to environmental discussions. Key publications of the 2012-2016 term of office include the Environmental Report 2016 “An integrated approach to environmental policy: the way forward”, the Special Reports “Nitrogen: Strategies for resolving an urgent environmental problem”, “Shaping the Electricity Market of the Future” and “Reducing flight noise: the need for reform in the planning of airports and flight routes”. Furthermore, Statements and Comments were published on topics such as TTIP, fracking and marine conservation. All publications can be downloaded on www.umweltrat.de.

Further information is available from Dr. Julia Hertin, Tel. +49 30 263696-118.

 

German Advisory Council on the Environment, Luisenstrasse 46, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Phone: +49 30 263696-0

Website: www.umweltrat.deE-mail: info@umweltrat.de

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