Co-convenors
Dr. Katharine Rietig
Katharine is the Principal Investigator of the Better Climate Governance Project and Professor in International Politics at Newcastle University, United Kingdom.
Dr. Rietig is an expert in global climate change negotiations, climate change policies and transitions to low carbon societies. Her research examines how negotiation deadlocks can be resolved through learning, non-state actors and multilevel governance dynamics between countries and the United Nations, and how these dynamics facilitate policy change for more effective environmental governance. She has been participating regularly as academic observer in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations since November 2009 and conducted various research projects on the UNFCCC negotiations focusing on the influence of non-national actors, negotiation strategies and the role of leadership by state and non-state actors.
She holds a PhD and MSc in Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an M.A. in Political Science, International Law and Economics from the University of Munich. Her research and impact activities have been funded by the UK Research and Innovation Council/ Economic and Social Research Council, the British Academy, the Wolfson Foundation and the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. Her work has appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals including International Affairs, Global Governance, the Journal of European Public Policy, Policy Studies Journal, Policy Sciences, Public Administration, Environmental Politics, International Environmental Agreements, as well as Environmental Policy and Governance.
Christine Peringer JD
Christine is the co-convenor of the Better Climate Governance Project and Senior Policy Advisor on Climate Governance of the World Federalist Movement – Canada.
Christine is an expert in multi-stakeholder planning and problem-solving. Working in sectors including environment, sustainable development, justice and health. Clients have included the Government of Mexico (Guidelines for Mexico’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory), Canadian Environmental Law Association (Great Lakes Summit), Federation of Canadian Municipalities (Country Strategy for Vietnam-Canada collaborative projects) and Quaker International Affairs Project (Dialogue Process on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights).
Christine holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario (1985) and is the author of “How We Work for Peace” Peace Research Institute – Dundas (1997). She is an active member of the Climate Change Policy Project of Mediators Beyond Borders International and has been a member of their observer team attending the UNFCCC negotiations. Since 1985 she has been a member of the World Federalist Movement – Canada where she serves as Senior Advisor on Climate Governance.
Christine has served for twenty years as a principal in her consultancy firm, Group Facilitation and Mediation Services. For more information please see www.peringer.ca.