Governance of Novel Entities Workshop @UFZ Leipzig
As part of our initiative on planetary solutions at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ in Leipzig, we are pleased to invite you to register for our 3-day expert workshop. It will be organized together with Marlene Ågerstrand (Stockholm University), with Gabriele Treu (UBA) and Peter Fantke (substitute ApS) as advisors. Its foundations lie in the outcomes of an expert workshop, focusing on the scientific community, in November 2025. The first workshop focused on the aspects illustrated on the left side in the figure above, whereas the upcoming workshop in September 2026 will focus on the items on the right.
The goals of the upcoming workshop are:
Make the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities operational by advancing proposals developed in the November 2025 workshop and translating them into practical implementation strategies.
Strengthen governance approaches by identifying workable ways to improve long-term global monitoring, assessment, and management of a broader range of novel entities (e.g., chemicals and materials), building on existing regulatory frameworks.
Expand participation beyond academia, especially by involving European and international decision-makers as well as representatives from NGOs, to ensure realistic, policy-relevant and implementable solutions.
Enhance proactive and precautionary governance, moving from retrospective regulation toward more comprehensive and preventive approaches.
Develop effective communication strategies to make the complex topic of novel entities more tangible and accessible to decision-makers and the general public.
Produce tailored outputs for key target groups, including a scientific publication, a policy brief for decision-makers, and accessible communication materials (e.g., short videos) for the broader public.