Prof. Dr. Michael Pregernig

• Since 3/2016
  Professor of Sustainability Governance at the Institute of Environmental Social Sciences and Geography, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
• 2009-2016
  Temporary replacement professorship with full responsibilities (Vertretungsprofessur, until 2015) and guest professorship (2015-2016) at the Institute of Environmental Social Sciences and Geography at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
• 2006-2009
  Associate Professor (“a.o.Univ.Prof.”) at InFER, the Institute of Forest, Environmental and Natural Resource Policy at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) 
• 2006
  Habilitation (postdoctoral qualification) in „Environmental and natural resource policy“ at BOKU
• 2001-2002
  12-months Research Followship at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA)
• 1997-2006
  Assistant Professor (“Universitätsassistent”) at InFER (formerly: Institute of Forest Sector Policy and Economics), BOKU
• 1995-1997
  Researcher at the Institute of Forest Sector Policy and Economics, BOKU

Stages of the academic education

• 1995–1999
  PhD studies at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU)
• 1989–1995
  Studying Forestry with a focus on environmental and natural resource policy at BOKU
• 1988–1994
  Studying Commerce with a focus on environmental economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, WU)

Michael Pregernig’s research is at the nexus of sustainability, science and society. In conceptual and methodological terms, he draws and strives to integrate approaches from Sustainability Science and Science & Technology Studies (STS). His current research foci are in the following areas:

• analysis and evaluation of instruments and processes of sustainability governance with a special focus on questions of effectiveness and legitimacy
• the role of science and expertise in environmental and natural resource policy with a special focus on the inherent tensions between effective scientific policy advice (‘evidence-based policy-making’) and democratic inclusivity
• causes, manifestation, and resolution of political conflicts around the distribution and use of natural resources before the background of societal change and the pluralisation of values
• possibilities and limits of inter- and transdisciplinarity in research and teaching

Research projects (selection):

• DFG Research Training Group Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple-Use Landscapes of Central Europe (ConFoBi) – Sub-project: Professional epistemologies and integration of biodiversity-related knowledge into socio-political decision-making (2016-2025)
• MIASA Interdisciplinary Fellow Group: The governance of energy transitions in the Global South (09-12.2020)
• Food Systems of Municipalities as Key To Integrative Sustainability Governance (KERNiG) – Sub-project: Knowledge Integration (2016-2019)
• Environmental Policy in the 21st Century: Approaches to tackle new challenges (2015-2019)
• Flood protection policies and climate change adaptation in Austria, Germany and Switzerland (Flood-Adapt) (2015-2019)
• Zukunftsstadt Freiburg (2030) (2015-2018)
• FRIAS project group: Interdisciplinary perspectives on environmental conflict and related migration (2017-2018)
• Knowledge Dialogue Northern Black Forest – a Real-world Laboratory Project (WiNo) – Sub-project: Local Knowledge (2015-2017)
• Knowledge Dialogue Northern Black Forest – a Real-world Laboratory Project (WiNo) – Sub-project: Transdisciplinary Approaches (2015-2017)
• Integrating Valuations, Markets and Policies for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (INVALUABLE) (2012-2014)
• Reshaping Science-Policy Interactions in Climate Policy (ReSciPI) (2011-2013)

• “Sustainability and Governance” (MEG, Core Module)
• “Human-Environmental Interactions” (MEG, Core Module)
• “Ecosystem Management” (MEG, Elective Module)
• “Environmental Conflict Management and Participation” (MEG, Core Module)
• “Goverance von Umwelt und Natürlichen Ressourcen” (Bsc Environmental Natural Sciences; Track: Environmental Social Sciences)

• Wolff, Franziska (2023): The making of international policy instruments: exploring the shift towards economic instruments in the international governance of biodiversity and ecosystem services. (Co-supervisor)
• Hennchen, Benjamin (2020): Local Food Systems as Fields of Practice and Knowledge: Analysis of Work in Professional Kitchens and the Organization of Urban Food Initiatives. PhD thesis at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg. (Supervisor)
• Gorricho, Julia (2018): Protected Areas Governance: Key to Advancing Conservation in the Midst of Armed Conflict – The cases of Alto Fragua Indiwasi National Park and La Planada Nature Reserve in Colombia. PhD thesis at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg. (Supervisor)
• Sturm, Cindy (2018): Klimapolitik in der Stadtentwicklung: Zwischen diskursiven Leitvorstellungen und politischer Handlungspraxis. Dissertation an der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (Co-supervisor)
• Hermann, Andrea Tony (2017): Cultural Imprints on Science-Policy Arenas and Science-Media Interactions in the Context of Climate Policy. PhD Thesis at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna. (Co-supervisor)
• Reinecke, Sabine (2015): Governing the climate across the science-state-society divide: Experiences from the REDD+ Partnership and climate services. PhD Thesis at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg. (Supervisor)
• Espinosa, Maria Cristina (2015): Apart from Nature or a Part of Nature? Discourse Analyses of the Politics of Redefining the Relationship between Humans and Nature. PhD Thesis at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg. (Supervisor)
• Bauer, Anja (2015): Thinking in the Long-Term: Anticipatory Policy Advice in Strategic Environmental Assessment, Technology Assessment, and Foresight. PhD Thesis at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna. (Supervisor)
• Osei Tutu, Paul (2015): Local Forest Management Institutions in Ghana: Interactions, Legitimacy and Compliance. PhD Thesis at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg. (Supervisor)
• Hauber, Jürgen S. (2013): Zur Ökonomik von Bereitstellungsketten: Die Marktpraktiken des Tausches in marktsoziologischen Theorien und eine Fallstudie zur Bereitstellung von Bioenergie. PhD thesis at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg. (Co-supervisor)
• Feichtinger, Judith (2013): Politischer Wandel im Gewässermanagement: Die Implementation der EU-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie im Spannungsfeld von Wasserkraft und Gewässerschutz in Österreich und Bayern. Dissertation an der Universität für Bodenkultur Wien. (Supervisor)
• Uprety, Hima Devi (2011): Street-level Bureaucrats in Community Forestry Policy Implementation: A Case Study from Nepal. PhD thesis at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna. (Supervisor)
• Helgenberger, Sebastian (2010): The capacity of business organizations to respond to the short-term and long-term impacts of climate change: Case studies on the Alpine winter tourism industry in Austria. PhD thesis at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna. (Supervisor)
• Renner, Renate (2010): How Do Networks Matter? Implementation of the Innovative Practice of Care Farming in Austria and the Netherlands. PhD thesis at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna. (Supervisor)
• Bitterling, Urs (2010): Coordination and the Politics of Climate Protection. The contribution of six Austrian climate protection measures to a more coherent climate policy. PhD thesis at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna. (Supervisor)

• Späth, Philipp; Castán Broto, Vanesa; Bawakyillenuo, Simon & Pregernig, Michael (2022): The governance of energy transitions in Africa: a sketch of plural perspectives. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 12/51. DOI: 10.1186/s13705-022-00380-2
• Monetti, Silvia; Pregernig, Michael; Speck, Melanie, Langen, Nina & Bienge, Katrin (2021): Assessing the impact of individual nutrition on biodiversity: A conceptual framework for the selection of indicators targeted at the out-of-home catering sector. Ecological Indicators, 123, 107620. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107620
• Krieger, Tim; Panke, Diana & Pregernig, Michael (eds) (2020): Environmental Conflicts, Migration and Governance. Bristol: Bristol University Press. ISBN: 978-1529202168. URL: bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/environmental-conflicts-migration-and-governance
•     Book review by Paul Bellamy in Journal of Human Security (DOI: doi.org/10.12924/johs2020.16010051)
•  Book review by Stephanie Martinez in World Medical and Health Policy (DOI: doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.394)
• Krieger, Tim; Panke, Diana & Pregernig, Michael (2020): Environmental and resource-related conflicts, migration and governance. In: Krieger, Tim; Panke, Diana; Pregernig, Michael (eds): Environmental Conflicts, Migration and Governance. Bristol: Bristol University Press. pp. 1-15.
• Hennchen, Benjamin & Pregernig, Michael (2020): Organizing Joint Practices in Urban Food Initiatives: A Comparative Analysis of Gardening, Cooking and Eating Together. Sustainability, 12, 4457. DOI: 10.3390/su12114457
• Storch, Ilse, Penner, Johannes, Asbeck, Thomas, Basile, Marco, Bauhus, Jürgen, Braunisch, Veronika, Dormann, Carsten F., Frey, Julian, Gärtner, Stefanie, Hanewinkel, Marc, Koch, Barbara, Klein, Alexandra-Maria, Kuss, Thomas, Pregernig, Michael, Pyttel, Patrick, Reif, Albert, Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael, Segelbacher, Gernot, Schraml, Ulrich, Staab, Michael, Winkel, Georg & Yousefpour, Rasoul (2019): Evaluating the effectiveness of retention forestry to enhance biodiversity in production forests of Central Europe using an interdisciplinary, multi-scale approach. Ecology and Evolution, 10/3, 1489-1509. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6003
• Peters, Dörte & Pregernig, Michael (2020): Lokales Wissen zu Natur und zu Landnutzung. In: Rhodius, Regina, Bachinger, Monika & Koch, Barbara (Hg.) Wildnis, Wald, Mensch: Forschungsbeiträge zur Entwicklung einer Nationalparkregion am Beispiel des Schwarzwaldes. München: oekom. 187-205.
• Schanz, Heiner, Pregernig, Michael, Baldy, Jana, Sipple, David & Kruse, Sylvia (Hg.) (2020): Kommunen gestalten Ernährung: Neue Handlungsfelder nachhaltiger Stadtentwicklung. Berlin: Deutscher Städte- und Gemeindebund. URL: https://www.dstgb.de/dstgb/Homepage/Publikationen/Dokumentationen/Nr.%20153%20-%20Kommunen%20gestalten%20Ern%C3%A4hrung/
• Nordbeck, Ralf; Löschner, Lukas; Pelaez Jara, Melani & Pregernig, Michael (2019): Exploring Science-Policy Interactions in a Technical Policy Field: Climate Change and Flood Risk Management in Austria, Southern Germany, and Switzerland. Water, 11/8, 1675. DOI: 10.3390/w11081675
• Wolff, Franziska, Brohmann, Bettina, Fischer, Corinna, Grießhammer, Rainer, Gsell, Martin, Heyen, Dirk Arne, Jacob, Klaus, Graaf, Lisa, Pregernig, Michael, Espinosa, Cristina, Potthast, Thomas, Meisch, Simon, Kerr, Matthias, Richerzhagen, Carmen, Bauer, Steffen & Brandi, Clara (2019): Perspektiven für Umweltpolitik: Ansätze zum Umgang mit neuartigen Herausforderungen Dessau-Roßlau: Umweltbundesamt. UBA-Texte 83/2019. URL: www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/perspektiven-fuer-umweltpolitik-ansaetze-umgang Richerzhagen, Carmen; Bauer, Steffen; Espinosa, Cristina & Pregernig, Michael (2019): Entwicklungspolitisch sensible Umweltpolitik. Dessau-Roßlau: UBA-Texte 20/2019. Umweltbundesamt.
• URL: www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/entwicklungspolitisch-sensible-umweltpolitik
• Espinosa, Cristina & Pregernig, Michael (2018): Narrative in der Umweltpolitik: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen. politische ökologie, 152, 41-46.
• Pregernig, Michael, Rhodius, Regina & Winkel, Georg (2018): Design Junctions in Real-World Laboratories: Analyzing Experiences Gained from the Project Knowledge Dialogue Northern Black Forest. GAIA, 27/S1, 32-38. DOI: 10.14512/gaia.27.S1.9
• Rhodius, Regina & Pregernig, Michael (2018): Per ‘Wissensmesse’ zum Forschungsprogramm: Arbeitsphasen und Abstimmungsprozesse zwischen Wissenschaft und Praxis. In: Defila, Rico & Di Giulio, Antonietta (Hg.) Transdisziplinär und transformativ forschen: Eine Methodensammlung. Wiesbaden: Springer. 163-194. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-21530-9_10
• Espinosa, Cristina, Pregernig, Michael & Fischer, Corinna (2017): Narrative und Diskurse in der Umweltpolitik: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen ihrer strategischen Nutzung. Dessau-Roßlau: Umweltbundesamt. URL: www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/narrative-diskurse-in-der-umweltpolitik
• Hermann, Andrea Tony, Hogl, Karl & Pregernig, Michael (2016): Science-Policy Interactions in Austrian, Dutch, and Swiss Climate Policy: A Comparative Account. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 19/2, 168-182. DOI: 10.1080/1523908X.2016.1180238
• Bauer, Anja, Pregernig, Michael & Reinecke, Sabine (2016): Enacting effective climate policy advice: Institutional strategies to foster saliency, credibility and legitimacy. Evidence & Policy, 12/3, 341-362. DOI: 10.1332/174426416X14712636744181
• Feichtinger, Judith & Pregernig, Michael (2016): Beyond mandated participation: Dealing with hydro power in the context of the water framework directive. Environmental Policy and Governance, 26/5, 351-365. DOI: 10.1002/eet.1699
• Mangelsdorf, Marion, Pregernig, Michael & Kuni, Verena (eds) (2016): (Bio-)Diversität, Geschlecht und Intersektionalität. Baden-Baden: Barbara Budrich. ISSN: 0948-9975
• Mangelsdorf, Marion, Pregernig, Michael & Kuni, Verena (2016): (Bio-)Diversity, Gender, and Intersectionality. Freiburger Zeitschrift für GeschlechterStudien, 22/2, 5-15. DOI: 10.3224/fzg.v22i2.27054
• Rhodius, Regina, Bachinger, Monika, Pregernig, Michael & Koch, Barbara (2016): Co-design und co-production im Reallabor Wissensdialog Nordschwarzwald. GAIA, 25/2, 131-132. DOI: 10.14512/gaia.25.2.15
• Rhodius, Regina, Pregernig, Michael & Koch, Barbara (2016): Herausforderungen transdisziplinären Arbeitens im Reallabor ‘Wissensdialog Nordschwarzwald’. Technikfolgenabschätzung – Theorie und Praxis, 25/3, 19-25.
• Hermann, Andrea Tony, Pregernig, Michael, Hogl, Karl & Bauer, Anja (2015): Cultural Imprints on Scientific Policy Advice: Climate  science–policy interactions within Austrian neo-corporatism. Environmental Policy and Governance, 25/5, 343-355. DOI: 10.1002/eet.1674
• Osei-Tutu, Paul, Pregernig, Michael & Pokorny, Benno (2015): Interactions between Formal and Informal Institutions in Ghanaian Local Forest Contexts. Forest Policy and Economics, 54, 26-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2015.01.006
• Pregernig, Michael (2014): Framings of science-policy interactions and their discursive and institutional effects: examples from conservation and environmental policy. Biodiversity and Conservation, 23/14, 3615-3639. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-014-0806-3
• Osei-Tutu, Paul, Pregernig, Michael & Pokorny, Benno (2014): Legitimacy of Informal Institutions in Contemporary Local Forest Management: Insights from Ghana. Biodiversity and Conservation, 23/14, 3587-3605. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-014-0801-8
• Freytag, Tim, Pregernig, Michael & Detten, Roderich von (2014): Institut für Umweltsozialwissenschaften und Geographie: Disziplinoffene Perspektiven für Forschung und Lehre. SOZIALE TECHNIK, 2/2014, 11-14.

• Since 2021
  Member of the Board of the “Young Academy for Sustainability Research” (YAS)
• Since 2019
  Chairman of the Examination Board of the BSc programs of the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources
• 2019-2024
  Member of the Board of the Graduate School “Environment, Society and Global Change” (ESGC)
• 2009-2015 and since 2019
  Program Director of the Msc Environmental Governance (MEG) at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
• 2018-2023
  Co-Speaker of the University’s Profile Field “Environment and Sustainability”
• 2019-2021
  Co-speaker of the Institute of Environmental Social Sciences and Geography