{"id":98635,"date":"2024-09-12T18:11:34","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T16:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de\/?page_id=98635"},"modified":"2026-03-09T12:03:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T11:03:44","slug":"council-members","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de\/en\/the-council\/council-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Members"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) is an advisory body with a mandate from the federal government. Made up of 15 public figures in post for three years, the Council was reappointed by Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz on 28 January 2026. It is headed by Gerald H. Haug (Chair) and Reiner Hoffmann (Deputy Chair).<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Prof. Dr Gerald H. Haug, Chair of the RNE<\/h4>\r\n

Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry; Full Professor at ETH Zurich<\/p>\r\n

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Reiner Hoffmann, Deputy Chair<\/h4>\r\n

Former President of the German Trade Union Confederation; Deputy Chair of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES)<\/p>\r\n

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Prof. Dr Stefan Bayer, member<\/h4>\r\n

Head of Research at GIDS (German Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies)<\/p>\r\n

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Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, member<\/h4>\r\n

President of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings; Chair of Mentor Germany<\/p>\r\n

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Carolin Bo\u00dfmeyer, member<\/h4>\r\n

Head of Liaison Office Berlin at Heidelberg Materials AG<\/p>\r\n

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Prof. Dr Fatma Deniz, member<\/h4>\r\n

President of TU Berlin<\/p>\r\n

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Tanja G\u00f6nner, member<\/h4>\r\n

Managing Director of the Federation of German Industries (BDI)<\/p>\r\n

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Thomas Kufen, member<\/h4>\r\n

Lord Mayor of Essen<\/p>\r\n

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Prof. Dr Mark G. Lawrence, member<\/h4>\r\n

Scientific Director Research Institute for Sustainability \u2013 Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS)<\/p>\r\n

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Dr Katrin Leonhardt, member<\/h4>\r\n

Chair of the Board of S\u00e4chsische Aufbaubank \u2013 F\u00f6rderbank<\/p>\r\n

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Prof. Dr Kai Niebert, member<\/h4>\r\n

President of the German League for Nature and Environment (DNR)<\/p>\r\n

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Hubertus Paetow, member<\/h4>\r\n

President of the German Agricultural Society (DLG e.V.)<\/p>\r\n

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Dr Myriam Rapior, member<\/h4>\r\n

Vice President of the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND)<\/p>\r\n

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Dr Werner Schnappauf, member<\/h4>\r\n

Lawyer and consultant; Former Minister of State<\/p>\r\n

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Achim Steiner, member<\/h4>\r\n

Senior Fellow of the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford; Chair of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference<\/p>\r\n

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Further links<\/h2>\r\n
\r\n \r\n \r\n Press release dated 28 January 2026: Council for Sustainable Development newly appointed [German only]<\/span>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
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Former Council members, Chairpersons and Secretaries-General<\/h3>\r\n \r\n

2001-2026<\/p>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

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