Draft:Patrick Huntjens

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Patrick M. J. M. Huntjens is a Dutch academic and practitioner in the fields of environmental governance, peacebuilding, and sustainability transitions. He served as Professor of Governance of Sustainability Transitions at Maastricht University (2021–2024)[1] and is Professor of Social Innovation and Sustainability Transitions at Inholland University of Applied Sciences (2018-present).[2] His work on “natural social contracts” and “eco-social contracts" has been recognized in global sustainability debates and assessments, including the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Transformative Change Assessment.[3]

Career

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Huntjens’s academic background spans multiple disciplines, with master’s degrees in Biology and Ecology and in Political Science and International Relations (cum laude), followed by a PhD in Complex System Sciences and Policy Sciences (magna cum laude) under the supervision of Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom.[4]

At the international level, Huntjens was appointed Lead Author for the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment (2022–2024).[3] During this period, IPBES as an institution received international recognition, including the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity (2022)[5] and the Blue Planet Prize (2024).[6]

From 2013 to 2017, Huntjens served as Head of Water & Climate Diplomacy and Governance at The Hague Institute for Global Justice.[7] In this role, he hosted and co-organized the Water Security and Peace Conference (2013) at the Peace Palace in The Hague.[8] The event was covered in an Al Jazeera Inside Story broadcast on water diplomacy, which included a live interview with Huntjens.[9] In the same period, he also served as lead mediator in the Israeli–Palestinian water conflict, under the auspices of the Geneva Initiative and supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[10]

At the national level, Huntjens was appointed Team Leader for the National Adaptation Strategy in Kosovo by UNDP.[11]

Research and concepts

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Huntjens is known for developing the concept of a Natural Social Contract,[12][13][14] and related work on Eco-Social Contracts,[15][16] which call for renewed solidarity, systemic equity across generations and communities, inclusive governance, and a fundamental transformation of economic systems.

His 2021 open-access book Towards a Natural Social Contract presented this framework and won the Nautilus Book Award (Gold Medal, 2022).[17] The book and its ideas have been discussed in Dutch and international media, including Trouw,[18] Reformatorisch Dagblad,[19] De Limburger,[20] BNNVARA Vroege Vogels,[21] and BNR Nieuwsradio.[22]

Since 2021 Huntjens has been involved in the Global Research and Action Network for a New Eco-Social Contract (2021), an international initiative which, by 2025, brought together more than 380 members from 79 countries, including scholars, civil society actors and policy institutions.[23] In January 2023 he delivered a keynote at the Global Network event Re-negotiate: A New Social Contract in an Age of Crises, hosted at Maastricht University.[24] Later that year, on 29–30 August 2023, he was invited as keynote speaker to the UNRISD Global Policy Seminar on Eco-Social Contracts in Bonn,[25] which built on his UNRISD issue brief on dismantling ecological divides.[26][15]

The IPBES Transformative Change Assessment (2024) highlighted eco-social and natural social contracts as examples of transformative visions for sustainable and just futures.[3]

He is lead editor of the forthcoming United Nations-linked volume Eco-Social Contracts for Sustainable and Just Futures (2025), pre-launched at the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) Annual Meeting 2025,[27] the Transformative Change/Earth System Governance 2025 conference,[28] and the official book launch at the Second World Summit for Social Development, hosted by the United Nations.[29]

Recognition

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  • Nautilus Book Award (Gold Medal, 2022) for Towards a Natural Social Contract.[17]
  • Named Lector van het Jaar (Professor of the Year) 2021 by the Dutch higher-education outlet ScienceGuide.[30]
  • During his period as Lead Author for the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment (2022–2024), IPBES as an institution received international recognition, including the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity (2022)[5] and the Blue Planet Prize (2024).[6]

Selected publications

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  • Huntjens, P. (2021). Towards a Natural Social Contract: Transformative Social-Ecological Innovation for a Sustainable, Healthy and Just Society. Springer: Heidelberg, March 2021, 221 pp.[13]
  • Huntjens, P. and Kemp, R. (2022). “The Importance of a Natural Social Contract and Co-Evolutionary Governance for Sustainability Transitions.” Sustainability, 14(5), p.2976. Open access.[14]
  • Huntjens, P., Mohamed, N., Hujo, K., & Desai, M. (eds.) (2025). Eco-Social Contracts for Sustainable and Just Futures – Mobilising Collective Power to Deal with the 21st Century Polycrisis. UNRISD/Springer Nature.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Appointment as Professor of Governance of Sustainability Transitions at Maastricht University (2021)". Archived from the original on 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  2. ^ "Inholland University appointment". www.inholland.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  3. ^ a b c "IPBES Transformative Change Assessment – Summary for Policymakers (2024)". IPBES secretariat. Archived from the original on 2025-04-13. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  4. ^ Water Partner Foundation. "PhD Award Patrick Huntjens". Archived from the original on 2025-03-17. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  5. ^ a b "2022 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity distinguishes IPBES and IPCC". 13 October 2022. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  6. ^ a b "2024 (33rd) Blue Planet Prize Laureates". 13 March 2024. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Maastricht University page".
  8. ^ "Clingendael Institute news". Archived from the original on 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  9. ^ "Al Jazeera Inside Story – "Water Under Pressure" (2013)".
  10. ^ "WaterPartner Foundation – biography". Archived from the original on 2025-03-17. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  11. ^ "WaterPartner - UNDP National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) for Kosovo".
  12. ^ Huntjens, Patrick (2019). Op weg naar een Natuurlijk Sociaal Contract. Inholland University of Applied Sciences.
  13. ^ a b Huntjens, Patrick (2021). Springer: Towards A Natural Social Contract (2021). doi:10.1007/978-3-030-67130-3. ISBN 978-3-030-67129-7. Archived from the original on 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  14. ^ a b Patrick, Huntjens; René, Kemp (January 2022). "The Importance of a Natural Social Contract and Co-Evolutionary Governance for Sustainability Transitions". Sustainability. 14 (5): 2976. Bibcode:2022Sust...14.2976H. doi:10.3390/su14052976.
  15. ^ a b "UNRISD Issue Brief: Dismantling the Ecological Divide: Toward a New Eco-Social Contract (January, 2023)". Archived from the original on 2025-07-15. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  16. ^ a b Springer: Eco-Social Contracts for Sustainable and Just Futures (2025).
  17. ^ a b "Nautilus Book Awards Winners 2022 PDF" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  18. ^ "Trouw: "In strijd tegen klimaatverandering kunnen burgers meer doen dan ze denken, vindt hoogleraar Patrick Huntjens" (2022)".
  19. ^ "Reformatorisch Dagblad: "Nieuw ecosociaal contract kan ons uit ecologische crisis leiden" (2024)".
  20. ^ "De Limburger: "Alles hangt met elkaar samen" (2022)".
  21. ^ "BNNVARA Vroege Vogels: "Van Ego naar Eco" (2022)". Archived from the original on 2025-05-12. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  22. ^ "BNR Nieuwsradio segments on drought and water policy (2011–2012)". Archived from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  23. ^ "Global Research and Action Network for a New Eco-Social Contract".
  24. ^ "Global Network – Re-negotiate: A New Social Contract in an Age of Crises (event summary, 21 January 2023)".
  25. ^ "UNRISD Event Brief: Global Policy Seminar on Eco-Social Contracts (UNRISD, 2024)" (PDF).
  26. ^ "Green Economy Coalition: "UNRISD Issue Brief - Dismantling the Ecological Divide" (2023)". Archived from the original on 2025-07-19. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  27. ^ "Academic Conference of the United Nations, Annual Conference 2025: Book Launch: Eco-Social Contracts for Sustainable and Just Futures (Nairobi, 2025)" (PDF).
  28. ^ "Transformative Change/Earth System Governance Conference 2025: Panel and Book Launch: Eco-Social Contract For Sustainable and Just Futures (Johannesburg, 2025)".
  29. ^ "United Nations: Second World Summit for Social Development (Doha, 2025)".
  30. ^ "Science Guide: "Patrick Huntjens verkozen tot lector van het jaar 2021"". Archived from the original on 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2025-09-01.