About

The Environmental Studies and Policy Research Institute (ESPRi) is a think-tank established in 2009 and accredited by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher dedication. For several years, it has been active in building a network of Polish and other Central European junior and mid-career scholars working on different aspects of environmental politics and governance. Most ESPRI researchers are also affiliated with universities (many of them aboard), and use ESPRI as a platform for engaging in local debates, with special emphasis put on Polish and European affairs. The Institute has also employed several graduate students and postdocs though its projects, connecting young political scientists based in Poland with colleagues in other countries.

ESPRi is a non-profit institution aimed at promoting research on the environment and the political aspects of sustainable development in Poland and Central-Eastern Europe. It seeks to provide a broad, social scientific perspective on environmental issues and global environmental governance. Additionally, the goal of ESPRi is to enhance regional and local activities towards Poland’s sustainable development, as well as education in that direction.

Since 2010, the Institute is registered as a foundation under Polish law, based in Wrocław. ESPRi has received funding from public sources (Polish-German Science Foundation) as well as individual donors, and is actively looking for financial resources to expand its research activity.

Our flagship series – ESPRi Working Papers (ISSN 2083-7011) – is a platform for researchers from Poland and CEE who explore the politics of global, national and local environmental issues. The papers are published following peer and editorial review, with the goal of gathering feedback and further developing before submitting to an international academic journal. The other two series: ESPRi Reports and ESPRi Policy Briefs – publish original research results and usable policy advice.

We started out with three main research areas: Energy and Climate, Societal Mobilization and Environment and Conflict. Currently, ESPRi is determined to expand research and build knowledge in five domains: Climate and energy; Forests; Bioeconomy and Waste; Security/Environment/Energy and last but not least – exploring, documenting, and archiving the history of Poland’s Environmental Movement.

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