Environmental Politics and Governance
11th Annual Conference
June 10 – June 13 2025
Sachseln, Switzerland
Join us for the 11th EPG Conference to contribute to and engage with cutting-edge research in environmental politics and governance.
Welcome to the 11th Annual EPG Conference, a gathering dedicated to advancing environmental politics and governance. Organized by a consortium of Swiss universities—ETH Zurich, University of Bern, University of Lucerne, and EPFL Lausanne—this conference unites scholars to share research, engage in insightful discussions, and form lasting professional connections. Set in the picturesque surroundings of Hotel Paxmontana in Sachseln, Switzerland, we look forward to your contributions to this dynamic event.
Call for proposals
We invite paper proposals that address significant theoretical ideas with rigorous quantitative or qualitative research designs in all domains of environmental politics and governance for the upcoming EPG 2025 Conference. This event is designed to showcase outstanding research, provide authors with valuable feedback, and offer a platform for scholars to enhance their networks and shape future research directions.
The conference will host approximately 60-70 participants, with all attendees staying in the same hotel. The structure of the conference includes about six panels and six poster sessions. Special sessions for early career researchers will be offered as part of a pre-conference program. Additionally, an interactive "Walk and Talk" format will encourage informal discussions among participants.
Steering committee members will be present during poster sessions to offer guidance and feedback. Unlike previous conferences, there will be no keynotes or roundtables, allowing the focus to remain entirely on participant presentations and discussions. Two awards will be presented to recognize exceptional contributions, and a series of videos will be produced to document and share the insights from the conference.
Submission process
All submissions, including those from EPG Steering Committee members, will undergo a rigorous double-blind review process. The EPG Conference is highly selective, accepting only a small fraction of proposals, ensuring that only the most outstanding research is featured.
Paper proposals must be submitted as an anonymous PDF file, including the paper title and a detailed abstract. EPG abstracts are typically more comprehensive than those required by most other conferences, typically exceeding 700 words, but capped at a maximum of 1,000 words, including references. The abstract should clearly outline the research question, theoretical framework, data, and methods, as well as the contributions the research makes to the field of environmental politics and governance. The inclusion of one table or figure is permitted if it enhances the abstract. Reviewers appreciate seeing preliminary evidence or indications that a complete paper will be ready for presentation at the conference. We recommend to submit no more than 1-2 papers as the designated presenting author.
We will only consider works-in-progress; please do not submit papers that are currently under review, accepted, or forthcoming elsewhere. Presenting authors are expected to share their completed papers with other conference participants three weeks before the conference. Please submit your proposals here.
Costs and logistics
There will be no conference fee for participants. All meals and coffee breaks during the conference will be funded. Accommodation for approximately 40 participants will also be covered, with early career researchers given priority. Of these, about 30 spots will require shared rooms to accommodate the number of attendees.
To encourage full participation, only one participant per paper will be accepted. Additionally, participants must commit to staying for the entire duration of the conference. While no travel funding will be provided, the organizers are committed to making the event as accessible as possible within these constraints.
Location and venue
Jugendstil-Hotel Paxmontana
Dossen 1
6073 Flüeli-Ranft
Switzerland
Sachseln, located in the canton of Obwalden, provides an ideal setting for our conference. The event will be held at the historic Hotel Paxmontana, built in 1617, offering a peaceful atmosphere amidst the Swiss Alps and overlooking Lake Sarnen. Sachseln is easily accessible by public transport. The hotel is approximately a 2-hour journey by train and bus from both Zurich main station and Zurich Airport, ensuring convenience for all participants. During their free time, participants can take advantage of the diverse outdoor activities the area has to offer.
Timeline
Proposal Submission Deadline: Thursday, October 31, 2024, by 11:59 PM (CET)
Notification of Paper Acceptance: mid-December
Circulation of Full Papers: June 1, 2025
Conference Dates: June 10, 2025, starting at 6:00 PM, to June 13, 2025, concluding at 2:00 PM
Please adhere to these deadlines to ensure smooth preparation and participation in the conference.
Organization
Conference chairs: Prof. Dr. Michaël Aklin (EPF Lausanne), Prof. Dr. Quynh Nguyen (University of Bern), Prof. Dr. Lena Maria Schaffer (University of Lucerne), Prof. Dr. Thomas Bernauer (ETH Zurich)
Members of the Steering Committee will peer-review all proposals. If their papers are accepted, they will be included in the poster session, not in a plenary session.
EPG Steering Committee: Michael Aklin (EPFL), Sarah Anderson (UC Santa Barbara), Patrick Bayer (University of Glasgow), Liam Beiser-McGrath (London School of Economics and Political Science), Thomas Bernauer (ETH Zurich), Mark Buntaine (UC Santa Barbara), Xun Cao (Pennsylvania State University), Andreas Duit (Stockholm University), Jennifer Hadden (University of Maryland), David Konisky (Indiana University Bloomington), Vally Koubi (ETH Zurich), Michael Lerner (London School of Economics and Political Science), Jean-Frédéric Morin (Université Laval), Megan Mullin (UCLA), Quynh Nguyễn (University of Bern), Aseem Prakash (University of Washington), Sam Rowan (Concordia University), Lena Schaffer (University of Lucerne), Gabriele Spilker (University of Konstanz), Detlef Sprinz (PIK, University of Potsdam), Manny Teodoro (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
