Active from 2003 to 2023, the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) was an independent non-profit foundation based in Switzerland, with mission to improve the management of emerging and systemic risks that have or could have impacts on human and environmental health, the economy and society, and overall sustainability.
As a science-based think tank and neutral collaborative platform, IRGC’s mission included developing frameworks and guidelines for improving global governance of risk, identifying and making sense of emerging or systemic risk issues, and providing risk governance policy advice for decision-makers.
Drawing upon scientific knowledge from both the public and private sectors (inter-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach), IRGC brought attention to emerging, ignored or neglected issues, and helped build bridges between science and policy in today’s challenging governance environment. Much of its attention focused on matters related to technology.
In 2023 the decision was taken to close the Foundation. Its assets have now been transferred to the Paul Scherrer Institut, and in particular the Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis (LEA). PSI’s activities involving risk governance will serve to ensure that IRGC’s legacy is maintained and perhaps even developed further,
In this section:
- IRGC’s Mission & Purpose and history
- IRGC’s strategic approach to improving risk governance
- Contacts