Council member

Katherine Richardson

Professor in Biological Oceanography at the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen. Researches how human activities affect the Earth’s overall environmental condition (Earth System Science), including how ocean biological processes are affected by and affects the climate. She has been one of the driving forces behind development of the ‘planetary boundaries’ as a tool for managing humanity’s impact on the global environment. Former chairman of the Danish Climate Commission (2008-2010) and appointed by the UN Secretary General as a member of the expert group responsible for the UN 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR).

Areas of work, research and expertise:

Plankton research
Mapping of the ocean’s importance for the global carbon cycle
Development of the ‘Planetary Boundaries’ concept

Other activities and ties to other organisations

Senior (guest) researcher at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Chair of the European Commissions’ Expert group on the economic and societal impact of research and innovation (ESIR)
Member of Advisory Council on Sustainability at Novo Nordisk.
Member of Urban Partners Advisory Network
Member of the Science Advisory Board for Alfred-Wegener-Instituts-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (AWI), Germany
Member of the Scientific Committee of the Volvo Environment Prize
Co-chair, SDSN Northern Europe Leadership Council
Member of the 2030-panel under the All Party Parliamentary Network for the 2030 Agenda of the Danish Parliament
Board member in the Non-profit foundation of the Electric Supply Company of Southern Funen (SEAF)
Chair of the Danish Centre for Marine Research

More council members

Peter Møllgaard

Chair

Niels Buus Kristensen

Vice chair

Bente Halkier

Vice chair

Brita Bye

Council member