Peter Victor, Co-Director
Peter a Professor Emeritus at York University. He is the author of several books, including Escape from Overshoot: Economics for a Planet in Peril (2023). He received his Ph.D. in economics from UBC in 1971. Today he continues to lead research on the simulation of macroeconomies and the ecological footprint.
Peter has worked for over 50 years in Canada and abroad on economy and environment as an academic, consultant and public servant. Positions held include Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University, and Renewable Energy Advisor to the Kenya Ministry of Energy and Regional Development. His work on ecological economics, notably on environmentally extended input-output analysis, ecological macroeconomics, and alternatives to economic growth, is widely cited and has been recognized through the award of several prizes and election to the Royal Society of Canada.
Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir, Co-Director
Brynhildur is a Professor of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Iceland. She was the Director of the international and interdisciplinary Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) graduate program at University of Iceland until August 1 2024, which she built and led since 2006. Brynhildur is also the coordinator of the environmental study line of the GRO geothermal training program under the auspices of UNESCO, is a member of the Icelandic Science Committee on Climate Change, the vice chair of the Icelandic climate council appointed by the Minister of environment, climate and energy and is the Chair of the scientific advisory committee for the Footprint Data Foundation.
Brynhildur has published over 150 academic peer reviewed publications. Some of her current research includes, i) energy transitions in marine industries and shipping using qualitative assessments, dynamic modelling, LCA and technoeconomic analysis, ii) identifying a sustainable consumption corridor in Iceland relying on doughnut economics, sustainability indicators and system dynamics modelling and iii) valuing ecosystem services applying value pluralism.
Eric Miller, Director of the Ecological Footprint Initiative and Instructor at York University
Eric is the Director of the Ecological Footprint Initiative and contract Faculty at York University. He manages multiple projects and partnerships at the Ecological Footprint Initiative, including the production of the National Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, and other projects that scale Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity, to provincial, institutional, and community levels.
He teaches footprint-related courses, supports students and project staff, and supports the Footprint Data Foundation as its Secretary-Treasurer. His prior work as a consulting economist has informed governments, industry, think-tanks, and NGOs. His earlier career in public service had him leading the team of economists in the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, after he had worked for the Ontario Ministry of Environment and for Environment Canada.
Tarmo K Remmel, Georgraphy Professor at York University
Tarmo is a Professor of Geography at York University. He is the principal investigator on several research projects, including an NSERC discovery grant assessing forest disturbabce and recovery, and a VPRI Catalying Interdisciplinary Research Cluster that uses geomatics to analyze climate change effects on ecosystems and human populations. Tarmo is also the lead of the Pattern Analytics Through Technology for Environmental Research – Network (PATTERN). This lab strives to develop new tools and to disseminate them openly to support better scientific analysis of data. Intertwined in this work is the desire to quantify and understand uncertainty, accuracy, and the sensitivity of measurements.
Tarmo’s research focus is largely on shape and pattern measurement, comparison, analysis, and the desire to understand boreal forest disturbance patterns, their residual vegetation structures, regeneration processes, and measures of fragmentation. He focuses on developing theoretical approaches and tools for quantifying and comparing 2D shapes and patterns and extend those to the segmentation of 3D features into morphological classes and voxels.
Peri Dworatzek, Partnership Coordinator
Peri is a PhD student at York University in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, with research contributing towards the IEFLL partnership. Her research will focus on community applications of Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity through the use of Ecological Footprint Calculators.
Peri worked for the Ecological Footprint Initiative for over two years as a Data Analyst, where she co-produced three editions of the National Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts. She also conducted sub-national research, creating Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity accounts for over 500 municipalities in Ontario. Peri is also the Secretary for the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Footprint Data Foundation, and Secretary for the Environmental Studies Association of Canada.