The social sciences have engaged since the late 1980s in international collaborative programmes to study questions of sustainability and global change. This article offers an in-depth analysis of the largest long-standing social-science network in this field: the Earth System Governance Project. Originating as a core project of the former International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change, the Earth System Governance Project has matured into a global, self-sustaining research network, with annual conferences, numerous taskforces, research centers, regional research fellow meetings, three book series, an open access flagship journal, and a lively presence in social media. The article critically reviews the experiences of the Earth System Governance network and its integration and interactions with other programmes over the last decade.

自1980年代末以来，社会科学参与了国际合作计划，以研究可持续性和全球变化的问题。本文对这个领域最大的长期社会科学网络进行了深入分析：地球系统治理项目。地球系统治理项目起源于前国际人类维度计划的全球环境变化核心项目，现已发展成为一个全球性，自我维持的研究网络，该网络包括年度会议，众多工作组，研究中心，区域研究人员会议，三个丛书，一个开放获取的旗舰杂志以及在社交媒体中的活跃形象。