Dr. Michele Betsill

Biography

Michele Betsill is a Professor of Global Environmental Politics at the University of Copenhagen. Her research focuses on global environmental governance and examines the role of non-state and sub-national actors in transnational governance related to climate change, marine conservation, and natural resource extraction. Currently, she is engaged in multiple significant projects, including the Ocean Philanthropy Research Initiative, which studies private foundations and marine conservation practitioners. She is also involved in the 100 Resilient Cities initiative, which addresses transnational governance concerning climate change and equity among member cities. Additionally, her work on ClimBio Frontiers seeks to explore governance interventions that tackle both climate change and biodiversity loss. Meanwhile, the RIPPLE project focuses on assessing catalytic impacts in cities participating in the C40 Water Safe Cities Accelerator program. Betsill is a founding member of the Earth System Governance research alliance and serves as an associate editor for its journal. In recognition of her contributions to the field, she received the 2023 Elinor Ostrom Career Achievement Award from the American Political Science Association and the 2024 Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Studies Association's environmental studies section.

Research Interests