Global environmental policy & governance.

I am a global environmental policy and governance expert with PhD (Forest and Environmental Policy), MSc (Environmental Governance), and BSc (Environmental Sciences) degrees from the University of Freiburg, Germany. I have conducted fieldwork and research across Europe, Indonesia, Brazil and Costa Rica, with a focus on global supply chain regulatory governance in the forest and agricultural sectors. My work has been published in leading journals such as Sustainable Development, Regulation & Governance, Forest Policy and Economics, and Nature Ecology & Evolution. I lecture on sustainable entrepreneurship, environmental policy analysis, and deforestation-free supply chain governance.

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Publications

My research focuses on global environmental policy and governance in the forest and agricultural sectors. My key research interests include EU and transnational public, private and hybrid supply chain regulations, policy mixes, Global South sustainability initiatives, and the role of gender in resource supply chains.

  1. Cramm, M., Ziegert, R. F., Berning, L., Uwiringiyimana, H., Schulz, D., Shidiki, A., Zanguim, H., Wunder, S., Börner, J., Azevedo-Ramos, C., Tegegne, Y. T., & Sotirov, M. (2026). Chain reactions: How businesses plan to respond to the EU Deforestation Regulation in Brazil, the Congo Basin, and Europe. Regulation & Governance. https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.70156
  2. Ziegert, R. F., Berning, L., Cramm, M., Wunder, S., Azevedo-Ramos, C., & Sotirov, M. (2026). Meshing or clashing gears? Design (in)coherences between the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products and third country environmental regulations. Environmental Policy and Governance, 36(1), 149-164. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.70041
  3. Schulz, D., Coenen, J., Bastos Lima, M., Berning, L., Börner, J., Cramm, M., Fraccaroli, C., de Oliveira, G. M., Persson, U. M., Sotirov, M., & Wunder, S. (2026). Not an easy ride: Economic research priorities for pro-environmental trade regulation. Forest Policy and Economics, 182, 103682.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2025.103682
  4. Berning, L., Garrett, R. D., & Sotirov, M. (2026). How does the European Union’s pluralistic institutional system influence policy change? The case of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free products. Sustainable Development, 34(S1), 1362-1378. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70236
  5. Coenen, J., Persson, U. M., Angelsen, A., Bastos Lima, M., Berning, L., Kastner, T., Schulz, D., Sotirov, M., & Wunder, S. (2025). Conditions for an effective EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 5280286). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5280286
  6. Oliveira, G. M., Ziegert, R. F., Pacheco, A., Berning, L., Sotirov, M., Dürr, J., Braun, D., Nunes, F. S. M., Soares-Filho, B. S., & Börner, J. (2024). Blind spots in the EU’s Regulation on Deforestation-free products. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 8, 1382–1383. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02465-x
  7. Berning, L., & Sotirov, M. (2024). The coalitional politics of the European Union Regulation on deforestation-free products. Forest Policy and Economics, 158, 103102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2023.103102
  8. Berning, L., & Sotirov, M. (2023). Hardening corporate accountability in commodity supply chains under the European Union Deforestation Regulation. Regulation & Governance, 17(4), 870-890. https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12540
  9. Sotirov, M., Azevedo-Ramos, C., Rattis, L., & Berning, L. (2022). Policy options to regulate timber and agricultural supply-chains for legality and sustainability: The case of the EU and Brazil. Forest Policy and Economics, 144, 102818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2022.102818
  1. Berning, L., Ziegert, R. F., Cramm, M., Sotirov, M., & Wunder, S. (in press). The emergence of a new governance regime for forest and ecosystem risk commodities. In A. Dawson, A. Touboulic, & L. Wu (Eds.), The Elgar Companion to Supply Chains and the Sustainable Development Goals. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
  1. Sotirov, M., Pokorny, B., Kleinschmit, D., & Kanowski, P. (2020). International forest governance and policy: Institutional architecture and pathways of influence in global sustainability. Sustainability, 12(17), 7010. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177010
  2. Fornoff, F., Klein, A.-M., Blüthgen, N., & Staab, M. (2019). Tree diversity increases robustness of multi-trophic interactions. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286(1898), 20182399. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.2399
  1. 2026: Article review for Regulation & Governance
  2. 2024: Commentary review for One Earth
  3. 2023: Article review for Forest Policy and Economics
  4. 2022: Policy brief review – Luo, A., & Kopp, M. (2022). The circular economy as EU environmental policy. Circular Economy Series, 8.
  1. Rögner, F. H., Portillo Casado, J., Herzog, M., Berning, L. M., Zagha, S., Castillejo-Cuevas, F., & Bonneau, A. G. (2022). Vorrichtung zur Dampfsterilisation von Gegenständen. (Device for the steam sterilization of objects).

Policy support & consultancy

My policy support and consultancy services focus on the analysis of EU policymaking and implementation processes in the forest and agricultural sectors, and sustainable entrepreneurship.

  1. Malessa, U., Berning, L., Sotirov, M., Jespersen, K., & Uttam, K.  (2025). Innovation report on deforestation-free supply chains. EMMA4EU. https://www.emma4eu.eu/updates/innovation-report/
  2. Cramm, M., Schulz, D., Wunder, S., Uwiringiyimana, H., Berning, L., Ziegert, R. F., & Sotirov, M. (2025). Deliverable 5.3: Actor-specific leverage points for transformative change. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14906038
  3. Schulz, D., Wunder, S., Fraccaroli, C., Cramm, M., Uwiringiyimana, H., Ziegert, R. F., Berning, L., Sotirov, M., Häuser, J., & Oliveira, G. M. (2024). Deliverable 5.2: Qualitative assessment of leakage and other spillover potentials in selected value chains. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14228340
  4. Cramm, M., Ziegert, R. F., Berning, L., Uwiringiyimana, H., Shidiki, A., Zanguim, H., Tchamba, M., Temgoua, L., Wunder, S., Sotirov, M., & Tegegne, Y. T. (2024). Deliverable 5.1: Behavioral responses to value chain related policies and governance initiatives. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14023024
  5. Börner, J., Berning, L., Braun, D., Dietz, T., Dürr, J., Martinelli, F., Mortara Batistic, P., Nunes, F., Oliveira, G. M., Pacheco, A., Soares-Filho, B., Sotirov, M., Vargas, D., & Ziegert, R. F. (2024). The EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products at odds with forest conservation in Brazil? Agricultural Policies in Debate. https://de.apdbrasil.de/die-eu-entwaldungsverordnung-eudr-im-widerspruch-zum-waldschutz-in-brasilien/
  6. Berning, L., Ziegert, R. F., Cramm, M., & Sotirov, M. (2023). Map of public and private policies and governance mechanisms. Final report. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8328016
  7. Pacheco, A., Berning, L., Escobar, N., Sihvonen, H., Ziegert, R. F., & Börner, J. (2023). Literature review and conceptual framework on mechanisms of how biomass trade affects biodiversity. CLEVER: Creating leverage to enhance biodiversity outcomes of global biomass trade (D2.1, EU-Horizon, project number: 101060765).
  8. Berning, L., Sotirov, M., Eckelmann, J., Maryudi, A., Pratama, A., & Laraswati, D. (2022). Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) implementation in Europe and Indonesia, and the implications of timber legality and deforestation policy changes in the EU, UK, USA and China. Final study report. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7333997
  9. Sotirov, M., Berning, L., Eckelmann, J., Maryudi A., Pratama, A., & Laraswati, D. (2022). Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) implementation in Europe and Indonesia, and the implications of timber legality and deforestation policy changes in the EU, UK, USA and China. A Policy Brief. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7322940
  1. Upcoming: Special issue workshop on ‘the legitimacy of extraterritorial EU sustainability regulations’ (organiser, moderator & presenter).
  2. 2025: Company forum on deforestation-free supply chains – challenges and opportunities in implementing the EUDR, Bonn, Germany (organiser & working session facilitator).
  3. 2025: EMMA4EU in-person Project Steering Committee Meeting and roundtable discussion on opportunities and challenges for effective EUDR implementation in the forest sector and the role of certification schemes, Freiburg, Germany (organiser).
  4. 2022: Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) expert workshop in Berlin, Germany (panellist & workshop moderator).
  5. 2021: 3 Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) workshop for the 3rd International Forest Policy meeting (IFPM3) at the University of Freiburg, Germany (virtual) (organiser & moderator)

EMMA4EU: Innovation alliance for training programmes for deforestation-free supply chains in Europe

ERASMUS+ Programme. Co-funded by the European Union, ERASMUS2027- project ID 101111729 

JAN. 2024 – SEPT. 2025

Roles: Grant writing support, research & teaching, donor reporting support

CLEVER: Creating leverage to enhance biodiversity outcomes of global biomass trade

European Union Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme. Grant agreement No. 101060765      

NOV. 2022 – AUG. 2025

Roles: Grant writing support, research

Study on FLEGT implementation in Indonesia and Europe and the implications of current and planned policy changes on timber legality and deforestation in Europe, USA and China. 

Funded by the UK Government‘s FGMC programme and the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Berlin, Germany.

MARCH 2022 – OCT. 2022   

Roles: Grant co-writing, research consultant, donor co-reporting

  1. Mammadova, A., Masiero, M., Bausano, G., Rogelja, T., & Pettenella, D. (2024). Report on Training Needs Assessment for students and professionals in Deforestation-Free Supply Chains (TNA Report). EMMA4EU. https://www.emma4eu.eu/updates/training-needs-assessment-for-the-future-of-deforestation-free-supply-chain-management/

I provide entrepreneurship consultancy on partnership and capital development, project management, and the incorporation of sustainability strategies in business models.

Judge & Mentor (2019–2023): Hult Prize in Paris, France and at the Ashridge House (Hult Ashridge Executive Education) in England; Foundersclub, Freiburg’s student group for entrepreneurship

Teaching

I have lectured on sustainable entrepreneurship, environmental policy analysis, and deforestation-free supply chain governance at the University of Freiburg, the University of Padua, the Free University of Berlin, and the University of British Columbia.

  1. 2026: Lecture series ‘Youth Dialogue on Forests’ organised by Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald (Conservation association for German Forests – SDW) in cooperation with the University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany: guest lecture on ‘Europe is not an island – EU trade laws to regulate sustainable and legal forest and agricultural supply chains’
  2. 2025: MSc course on International Forest Policy at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada: guest lecture on ‘EU politics of regulating transnational forest and agricultural commodity supply chains for legality and sustainability: the case of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products (EUDR)’
  3. 2025: MSc seminar at the Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany: guest lecture on ‘methods of data collection’

WiSe 2025/2026:

  • MSc module ‘Human Environment Interactions’ at the Chair of Sustainability Governance at the University of Freiburg: teaching assistant, group work supervision, evaluation of poster presentations and exams
  • MSc module ‘Sustainability & Governance’ at the Chair of Environmental Governance at the University of Freiburg: exam evaluations

SoSe 2025 & WiSe 2024:

  • EMMA4EU Pro four-week specialisation course in sustainable and deforestation-free commodity supply chains (DFSC) at the University of Padua: conceptualisation and delivery of a seminar on ‘leadership, governance, management, and entrepreneurship for achieving DFSC – business model and value proposition development’
  • EMMA4EU MSc advanced training course in deforestation-free supply chain management: conceptualisation and recording of four e-learning videos explaining the development, design and adoption of the new EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), the role of actors, and perceptions from non-EU producer countries, preparation of student assignments and evaluations, teaching facilitator

SoSe 2024:

  • MSc Module on ‘International Forest Governance’ at the Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy at the University of Freiburg: lecture on ‘the legitimacy of EU trade rules regulating forest and agricultural commodity supply chains’

WiSe 2023:

  • MSc seminar on ‘sustainability – leadership, governance, management, and entrepreneurship’ at the Chair of Finance, Controlling and Entrepreneurship at the University of Freiburg: conceptualisation and delivery in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Stephan Lengsfeld, co-evaluation of final presentations

SoSe 2023:

  • MSc Module ‘International Forest Governance’ at the Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy at the University of Freiburg: lecture on ‘the new EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products: transnational regulation of sustainable and legal trade in forest-risk commodities’ 

WiSe 2021/2022:

  • MSc Module ‘Environmental Policy’ at the Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy at the University of Freiburg: supervision of group work as a teaching assistant (5 groups), co-evaluation of research papers
  • MSc Module ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship’ at the Chair of Finance, Controlling and Entrepreneurship at the University of Freiburg: lecture on ‘sustainability and sustainable entrepreneurship’, co-supervision of group work where students developed and pitched a business model for a sustainable enterprise, co-evaluation of final presentations

SoSe 2022:

  • MSc Module ‘Environmental Policy Analysis’ at the Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy at the University of Freiburg: lecture on ‘transnational governance of sustainable and legal trade in forest-risk commodities: a policy analysis of the EU Deforestation Regulation’s coalitional politics’, led a role play where students applied different theoretical frameworks and theories to a fictive environmental policy case study, evaluation of reflective essays
  • BSc Module ‘International Politics and Markets’ at the Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy at the University of Freiburg: lecture on ‘transnational policies regulating deforestation-free forest and agricultural commodities’

WiSe 2021/2022:

  • MSc Module ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship’ at the Chair of Finance, Controlling and Entrepreneurship at the University of Freiburg: conceptualisation and development of a series of e-learning videos on sustainable enterprise funding and organisational structures in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Stephan Lengsfeld

SoSe 2021: 

  • MSc Module ‘Environmental Policy Analysis’ at the Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy at the University of Freiburg: scientific mentor and supervision of literature seminars
  • MSc Module ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship’ at the Chair of Finance, Controlling and Entrepreneurship at the University of Freiburg: conceptualisation and development of a series of e-learning videos on sustainability in entrepreneurship in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Stephan Lengsfeld

Outreach

  1. 2023: GIZ IND SNRD Event: ‘deforestation free timber – a contradiction or opportunity?’
  2. 2022: Policy forum on incentivising good forest governance of FLEGT-VPA countries through Broader Market Recognition of Timber National Systems, London, UK.
  3. 2019 & 2020: BadenCampus Business Accelerator, Breisach, Germany
  4. 2019: EPICUR Forum on ‘Entrepreneurship and Sustainability’, Freiburg, Germany.
  5. 2019: Hult Prize Regional Summit, Paris, France.
  6. 2019: First Momentum Ventures ‘Founders Summit’, Karlsruhe, Germany.
  7. 2018 & 2019: The University of Freiburg, MSc Module on ‘Leadership & Entrepreneurship’, Freiburg, Germany.
  1. 2026: Workshop on ‘governing global trade: facilitating effective policy mixes from the local to the global’ at the 17th Nordic Environmental Social Science (NESS) Conference at Uppsala University, Uppsala,  Sweden (panellist).
  2. 2026: Panel on ‘the legitimacy of extraterritorial sustainability regulations: the case of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products’ at the 6th International Forest Policy Meeting (IFPM6) in Prague, the Czech Republic (session chair & panellist).
  3. 2025: Panel on ‘natural resource management and conservation (I)’ at the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference 2025, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece (panellist).
  4. 2025: Session on ‘leverage points and governance implications for biodiversity conservation’ at the conference & science-policy panel debate on ‘mainstreaming biodiversity in policy making’, Brussels, Belgium (panellist).
  5. 2024: Session on ‘designing for impact: success and failures of forest-risk commodity policies and governance mechanisms’ at the Global Land Programmes (GLP’s) 5th Open Science Meeting, Oaxaca, Mexico (session chair & panellist).
  6. 2024: Panel on ‘at the edge: (il)legal and (il)legitimate’ at the 26th International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) World Congress, Stockholm, Sweden (poster presentation & panellist).
  7. 2023: CLEVER (Creating leverage to enhance biodiversity outcomes of global biomass trade) annual meeting in Vienna, Austria (poster presentation).
  8. 2023: Panel on ‘advancing the research frontier on new supply chain regulations: connecting processes from the demand-side and supply-side’ at the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference in Prague, Czech Republic (panellist).
  9. 2023: Forest Policy Science Conference in Freiburg, Germany (poster presentation).
  10. 2022: Symposium trade and biodiversity: measurement, modelling, and governance challenges, Cologne, Germany (panellist).
  11. 2022: Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) expert workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia (panellist).
  12. 2022: Panel on ‘exploring the new era of anti-deforestation regulatory governance of forest-risk commodities’ at the 4th International Forest Policy Meeting (IFPM4) (panellist).
  13. 2021: Panel on ‘governing through trade: COVID-19, environment, and arms’ at the Horizon RECONNECT EU trade policy workshop (panellist).
  14. 2021: Panel on ‘new human rights and environmental due diligence regulations: towards hardened foreign accountability?’ at the 5th International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP5) (panellist).
  15. 2018: Africa Health Business Symposium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (expert participant).
  16. 2019: World Youth Forum, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (startup booth).
  1. Escobar, N., Ziegert, R. F., Pacheco, A., Berning, L., Leclere, D., & Oliveira, G. M. (2024, November 28). Innovating for Sustainable Land Systems. CLEVER. https://clever-project.eu/innovating-for-sustainable-land-systems/
  2. Castañeda, R., & Martinelli, F. (2024, November 26). CLEVER Annual Meeting in Bonn: Advancing research on biodiversity and global trade. CLEVER. https://clever-project.eu/clever-annual-meeting-in-bonn-advancing-research-on-biodiversity-and-global-trade/
  3. CLEVER (2024, July 10). New study on the unintended effects of the EU’s Regulation on Deforestation-free products. CLEVER. https://clever-project.eu/blind-spots-in-the-eus-regulation-on-deforestation-free-products/
  4. Berning, L., & Ziegert, R. F. (2023, April 20). Evaluating trade regulations in forest-risk commodities to protect biodiversity. CLEVER. https://clever-project.eu/evaluating-trade-regulations-in-forest-risk-commodities-to-protect-biodiversity/
  5. Jong, H. N. (2022, November 10). EU ‘moving the goal posts’ with new timber requirement, Indonesia says. Mongabay. https://news.mongabay.com/2022/11/eu-moving-the-goal-posts-with-new-timber-requirement-indonesia-says/
  1. Duz Spezial (2019, September). German U15-Universitäten als Innovationsmotoren. German U15. https://www.duz-special.de/de/ausgaben/gu15/
  2. Schwär, H. (2019, January 22). Vier Freiburger haben eine Technik entwickelt, die OPs in Entwicklungsländern sicherer machen soll. Business Insider Deutschland. https://www.businessinsider.de/wirtschaft/vier-freiburger-haben-eine-technik-entwickelt-die-ops-in-entwicklungslaendern-sicherer-machen-soll-2019-2/
  3. Neumann, T. (2018, October 21). Bis nach New York: Freiburger schrammen an einer Million Dollar vorbei. Chilli das Freiburger Stadtmagazin. https://www.chilli-freiburg.de/karriere-campus/schule-studium/bis-nach-new-york-freiburger-schrammen-an-einer-million-dollar-vorbei/
  4. EDN Staff (2018, September 27). EDN Project spotlight: Noor Medical. Earth Day Network. https://www.earthday.org/edn-project-spotlight-noor-medical/
  5. Kutkat, G. (2018, September 10). Zum Finale nach New York. Badische Zeitung. https://www.badische-zeitung.de/freiburg/zum-finale-nach-new-york–156471727.html
  6. Kutkat, G. (2018, September 07). Freiburger Studierende kämpfen in Wettbewerb um 1 Million US-Dollar. Fudder. https://www.badische-zeitung.de/freiburger-studierende-kaempfen-in-wettbewerb-um-eine-million-us-dollar
  7. La republica (2018, September 05). Iniciativa de la cual hace parte un colombiaon es una de las finalistas al Hult Prize. https://www.larepublica.co/alta-gerencia/iniciativa-de-la-cual-hace-parte-un-colombiano-es-una-de-las-finalistas-al-hult-prize-2767015

Distinctions

  1. Gerhard-Speidel 2025 Prize for outstanding dissertations in forest economics and social sciences
  2. WILEY 2023 Top Cited Article in Regulation & Governance
  1. IFC TechEmerge East Africa Grantee, 2021
  2. BW Goes Mobile Award Winner, 2020
  3. Fraunhofer Venture TechBridge Award Winner, 2019
  4. Dubai Expo Live Grantee, 2019
  5. Top 3 Next Economy Award Winner, 2019
  6. European UN Young Champion of the Earth Finalist, 2019
  7. United Nations – Hult Prize Global Finalist, 2018
  8. Regional Hult Prize Tunis Prize Winner, 2018
  9. CampusWELTbewerb Prize Winner, 2017
  1. Müller-Fahnenberg Foundation Conference scholarships (2024 & 2025)
  2. DAAD-Conference scholarship (AUG. 2024)
  3. Georg-Ludwig-Hartig Foundation Conference scholarship (MAY 2024)
  4. DAAD-PROMOS internship scholarship (SEPT. 2017 – OCT. 2017)
  5. IAESTE & DAAD internship scholarship (SEPT. 2015 – OCT. 2015)
  6. ERASMUS+ scholarship (SEPT. 2014 – JULY 2015)
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© Laila Berning
All material presented herein is intended for information purposes only.