László Pintér

László Pintér has three decades of experience working on sustainable development on the global scene. His main research interests include sustainable development governance and strategies, measuring and integrated reporting on progress, and integrated outlooks, scenarios, and transition pathways, often focused on the natural resources sectors. He currently carries out research focused on the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), with emphasis on the mechanisms of goal selection, monitoring and review, and means of implementation. He also carries out research on integrated vulnerability and adaptation. He contributed to the Global Environment Outlook since GEO-1 and served as Coordinating Lead Author of GEO-5's scenario chapter, most recently serving as CLA of the outlook chapter of the European assessment of GEO-6. Between 2012 and 2015 he was the lead author of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)'s series of reports on the SDGs in 14 countries in the European region and Asia. He was work package leader in the NATURVATION project focused on nature-based solutions in cities and supported by the EU's Horizon 2020 program. As a NATURVATION legacy, through CEU's Innovation Lab incubator he recently launched a startup around a software tool that helps make the business case for NBS in urban development. He also served as a case study leader in the IMPRESSIONS FP-7 project focused on adaptation to high-end climate scenarios and coordinated a study on the climate risk assessment of large-scale hydraulic infrastructure investment scenarios of the World Bank for the Okavango basin, in collaboration with CRIDF. 

Dr Pintér co-established and co-chaired various sustainability-related initiatives, including the International Forum for Assessing Sustainability in Agriculture (INFASA), the Community Indicator System for Winnipeg (PEG), he helped initiate the Canadian Sustainability Indicators Network (CSIN), and lead the development of UNEP's Integrated Environmental Assessment training program for sub-global audiences that most recently involved supporting the National Environmental Protection Agency of Afghanistan to launch the country's first proper integrated state of the environment report. He regularly contributes as a board or steering committee member of professional organizations and networks, including recently the Balaton Group, the Asia-Europe Environment Forum, and The Integrated Assessment Society. He played a key role in the establishment of the Bellagio Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles (BellagioSTAMP) by IISD and the OECD. 

He works worldwide and over his career collaborated with a wide range of major organizations such as the World Bank, the OECD, UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO, the Asia-Europe Foundation, the European Environment Agency, various Directorates of the European Commission, the GEF, and the China Council, and also with many Canadian organizations including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Environment Canada, the National Roundtable for the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), the Canadian Index of Well-Being, CIDA, IDRC, provincial governments, various consulting firms, and others. While often working globally, he strongly believes in the power and importance of local initiatives and research where the concepts and theories of sustainability appear with a human face, tangibility, and often urgency.

Prior to joining CEU in 2010, he worked for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in Canada between 1994 and 2010, serving as the director of the Measurement and Assessment Program between 2003 and 2010. During 2000-2001 he was Practitioner Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, conducting research related to the effectiveness of integrated environmental assessment and reporting at the global level. Besides his position at CEU, he is also  Senior Fellow at IISD and was granted the title of Honorary Professor by University of Pannonia in Hungary.

Office Hours: By appointment via e-mail or walk in when door is open 

Selected Work Experience

2023 (ongoing)  NATURESCAPES - Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilient, Nature Positive and Socially Just Communities in Diverse Landscapes (Horizon 2020, CEU team leader, Workpackage 1 leader)

2023 (ongoing) Cohesion for Transition - make better use of cohesion funds for sustainability transitions (DG Regio, contributor via the Academic Sounding Board)

2023 - Representation and analysis of urban Nature-Based Solutions in Southeast Asia in the Urban Nature Atlas; ASEF (senior advisor)  

2022 - Contribution to the understanding of multiple benefits of urban nature in practice - insights from the Urban Nature Atlas; PBL (contributor)

2021-2022  Development of an interactive global map of climate change-relevant nature-based solutions in cities; The British Academy (team leader) 

2022 - 2023  Mainstreaming environmental sustainability into Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of EU member countries; PS4SD (contributor)

2020 (ongoing)  Capacity building for climate security assessment through participatory scenario analysis ; UNDP (co-leader)

2020-2023  Sustainability measurement and assessment in support of the 2025 SOER for Europe; PS4SD and the European Environment Agency (co-leader)

2020-21 Future of the Global Environment Outlook; IISD for UNEP (team leader)

2019  Capacity building for SOE reporting in Afghanistan; NEPA and UNEP Post-Conflict Assessment Unit (co-leader)

2018 (ongoing)  Physi Solutions; launch of startup around a software tool that helps make the business case for NBS in urban development (founder)

2018  National Adaptation Planning (NAP) global network; capacity building on monitoring, evaluation and indicators; IISD (expert)

2016-2022 Intellectual history of the Global Environment Outlook (independent book project; launch of book in 2022)

2016-21 - NATURVATION - NATure-based URban innoVATION (Horizon 2020 through CEU, CEU team leader, workpackage leader)

2016-17 - Climate Resilient Development Pathways - Okavango Basin pilot; CRIDF (study leader)

2016 - Accelerating and rescaling transitions to sustainability - ARTS (EU FP-7 through CEU, CEU team leader)

2015 - Global Environment Outlook - 6: Europe; co-CLA of Outlook chapter (UNEP-DEWA)

2014 - Niche Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture in Hungary. (Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency and PATHWAYS FP-7 project)

2014 - Governance of Sustainable Development Goals Implementations – National Case Studies in Veit Nam and Poland (Asia-Europe Foundation and Hanns Seidel Stiftung, project leader)

2014- Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators for a Small Planet (Asia-Europe Foundation, project leader)

2014 - Sustainable Consumption and Production Targets and Indicators (UNEP DTIE, IISD and CSIRO)

2013 - Task Force on Assessment and Outlook of Economic Green Transformation in China (China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, CCICED; member of Task Force)

2013 - Review of MDG-7 performance and lessons for the integration of the environment with non-environmental goals in the SDGs and post-2015 development agenda. (UNEP; study leader)

2013 - Review of learning mechanisms of national environmental indicator systems. (Environment Canada, study leader)

2013-present - Impacts and Risks from Higher-End Scenarios: Strategies for Innovative Solutions – IMPRESSIONS (EU FP-7 through CEU, case study leader)

2013 - Foreign investment contracts for farmland and water: Options for a sustainable future. (IISD and SDC, contributor)

2013 - Navigating Sustainable Development for the 21st Century: Governance ‘of’ and ‘for’ the post-2015 development agenda. (Tokyo Institute of Technology, chapter lead author on ‘political economy of measurement’)

2013 - Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Creation in ASEM Countries. (Asia-Europe Foundation, project leader)

2012 - Cost of Inaction on the Sound Management of Chemicals in Sub-Saharan Africa report (UNEP DTIE, Chemicals Branch, expert reviewer)

2011 - Scenario Summit – Internet Governance Forum. (IDRC and IISD)

2011-2012 - Ecosystem Management – Concept to Local Scale Implementation Training Manual – Phase 2: Peer Review and Pilot Testing. (UNEP-DEPI)

2010-2012 - Millennium Development Goals Fund – Knowledge Management. (UNEP-DRC)

2010-2011 - China Environment and Development Outlook Feasibility Study. (China Council, member of Task Force)

2010-2011 - Proposal to apply sustainable agriculture metrics to selected Western Canadian field crops. (SERECON Inc.)

2010-2011 - Achieving national and sectoral development priorities: Using integrated environmental assessment tools for improved MEA implementation. (UNEP-ROLAC and CARICOM)

2010-2012 - Global Environment Outlook 5, Chapter 9: Scenarios and Sustainability Transformation. (UNEP DEWA, coordinating lead author)

2010 - OECD Agri-Environmental Indicators: Lessons Learned and Future Directions. (IISD for OECD, project leader)

2010 - Accountability through Measurement, 2nd National CSIN Conference. (Environment Canada, Deloitte, Atkinson Foundation, Commissioner for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Government of Manitoba; conference chair)

2009-2010 - Ecosystem Management – Concept to Local Scale Implementation Training Manual. (UNEP-DEPI)

2009-2010 - Bellagio STAMP – Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles. (OECD)

2009-2010          Hudson Bay Inland Sea Initiative – HBISI. (NTK and Government of Nunavut)

2008-2009 - Comparison of the Agri-Environmental Performance of Canadian Agriculture with a Focus on Beef Production. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Serecon Consulting, Inc.; contributor)

2008 - Developing an Indicator System for Winnipeg’s Urban First Nations Community. (Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs; contributor)

2008-2010 - Beyond Business as Usual: Promoting the Use of Sustainable development Indicators in Strategic Corporate Management. (IISD Innovation Fund; Contributor)

2008-2009 - Evaluation of the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicator system (CESI). (Environment Canada; contributor)

2007-2010 - BalatonTrend. Development of an Interactive Portal to Display Quantiative and Qualitative Information on Regional Sustainability. (IISD; project leader)

2007-2008 - Canadian Index of Well-Being – Ecosystem Health Domain. (Atkinson Foundation of Canada; contributor)

2007-2008 - Review of International Assessments (IPCC, GEO-4 and IAASTD) and their Relevance for Canadian Agricultural Policy. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Guelph University; contributor)

2007-2008 - Ecological Goods and Services and International Policy – Phase 1. (MNP, Netherlands; contributor)

2007-2009 - Ecosystem Status and Trends Assessment for Canada. (Environment Canada; Team Leader)

2006-2010 - Collaborative Initiative on Integrated Land Management. (GEOconnections Secretariat, Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada; contributor)

2006-2008 - Indicators for the Circular Economy in China. (World Bank and National Development and Reform Commission, China; contributor)

2006-2008 - Evaluation of the implementation and impact of Manitoba’s Sustainable Development Act. (Manitoba Conservation; contributor)

2005-2007 - International Forum for Assessing Sustainability in Agriculture - INFASA. (Swiss University of Agriculture, AAFC, SDC; co-chair)

2005-2010 - Outcome Based Budgeting and Performance Measurement. (Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Manitoba; contributor)

2005-2006 - Review of Sustainable Development Strategies in OECD and Other Selected Countries. (OECD; contributor)

2005-2006 - Strategy and Business Plan for Establishing IISD’s Institutional Presence in the European Union. (IISD; project leader)

2005 - Sustainable Development Indicators – Proposals for the Way Forward. (United Nations Division for Sustainable Development; project leader)

2005-2007 - Performance measurement for local government in China. (Task Force on Economic Growth and the Environment, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development. (CCICED; member of Task Force)

2005-2009 - Lake Balaton integrated vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategies. (UNDP, UNEP and Lake Balaton Development Council for the GEF; project leader)

2004-2006 - Pilot Testing of the Canadian Biodiversity Index. (Environment Canada; project leader)

2004 - Sustainable Development Indicator System for Yunnan Province, China. (Scott Wilson, Ltd.; contributor)

2004-2007 - Social Indicators for Canada’s Agri-Food Sector. (AAFC; contributor)

2003-2004 - Developing a Strategy for IISD’s Revitalized Natural Resources Management Program. (IISD; project leader)

2003-2004 - Study of Sustainable Development Initiatives and Strategies in the Wake of WSSD and Beyond. (GTZ, DFAIT, Environment Canada, UN-CSD, IUCN; contributor)

2004 - Ten-Year Assessment of the Information Products of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. (Stratos, Inc., CEC; contributor)

2003-2005 - Yunnan Sustainable Development Action Plan. (Yunnan Environment and Development Program, China and Scott Wilson Ltd., UK; contributor)

2003-2009 - Strategic Cooperation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on the Agriculture Policy Framework and the Sustainable Development Strategy-III; Coordinator. (AAFC; project leader)

2002-2010 - Peg - Community Indicator System for Winnipeg. (United Way of Winnipeg; co-chair)

2001-2002 - Strategic planning for the Global Environment Outlook-4: SWOT analysis of the GEO process; comparative analysis of global environmental reporting systems; and development of global capacity building strategy on integrated environmental assessment and reporting. (UNEP; project leader)

2001 - Black Sea de-eutrophication strategies. (IREX and University of Minnesota; contributor)

2001-2002 - Romania Local Agenda 21. (NCSD; contributor)

2000-2001 - Research and Assessment Systems for Sustainability. (Harvard University; contributor)

1999-2000 - Envisioning positive community futures through appreciative inquiry in Karnataka, India. (MYRADA and DFID, UK; contributor)

1998-2000 - Developing sustainability values and indicators for Canada's metals sector. (Natural Resources Canada; contributor)  

1998 - Development of SD indicators for Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province. (Pakistan Environment Program of IUCN and CIDA; contributor)

1997-98 - Sustainable development: Tools and methods in practice. (Sessional instructor, Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba)

<http://iisd.ca/educate/learn/nri/default.htm>.

1997 - Development of quality of life indicators for the City of Winnipeg. (City of Winnipeg; contributor)

1996-2001 - Global Environment Outlook-1 and 2000. (UNEP; Collaborating Centre leader)

1997 - Review of performance measurement strategies and indicators in the context of sustainable development. (Industry Canada; contributor)

1996-97 - Measuring sustainability in North American communities (Winnipeg, Canada; Guadalajara, Mexico; Seattle, US). (Commission for Environmental Cooperation) ; contributor

1996-97 - Bellagio Principles for Measuring SD. (Rockefeller Foundation; contributor)

1996-97 - Sustainable development of cities and regions – SUDECIR. (STENUM GmbH, Austria; project leader)

1996 - Mackenzie Basin Impact Study - climate change impact on aboriginal lifestyle. (Environment Canada; contributor)

1995-2010 - Sustainable development reporting for the Province of Manitoba. (Manitoba Conservation; contributor)

1994-2010 - Compendium of sustainable development initiatives and publications. (Environment Canada, Redefining Progress, World Bank, UN Division for Sustainable Development, International Sustainability Indicators Network; project leader)

1993-1994 - Community based comparative risk assessment in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. (Institute for Sustainable Communities, Montpelier, VT, USA; Consultant)

1992 - Lake Tata rehabilitation project. (Tata Environment Protection Society, Hungary; Consultant)

1992 - Use of commercial humic materials in wastewater treatment and soil decontamination. (Deltaco RT, Hungary; project leader)