GNC – Green Nephrology Committee

I. Objectives

1. The main objective of the GNC is to create awareness on the topic of environment/climate change and health/disease especially the environmental sustainability related to renal diseases contributing to making a more sustainable and environmentally friendly healthcare sector and health/disease especially the environmental sustainability related to the renal diseases.
2. Producing consensus statements, and making scientific presentations/reports aiming to promote sustainable health and deliver sustainable healthcare.
3. Generating a platform within ERA:

• • to start a dialogue and foster interaction among different stakeholders related to the subject of environment and health/disease (i.e. industry, policymakers, etc.);
  • for defining research questions and educational tools/programmes on the effects of climate change in the nephrology field.

II. Committee members, nominations, terms and rotation

1. The GNC should have up to 7 members: a Chair, an Ex-Officio Member and 5 Ordinary Board members;
2. All Board members should be ERA Full members;
3. The Chair and the Ordinary Board Members, should be persons with a proven interest or knowledge in the topic, motivated and dedicated to environmental issues, or be otherwise useful to the tasks of the Committee;
4. Eligible candidates for the position of Chair as well as the position of Ordinary Board Members should use specific candidacy application templates (Chair Application Template) and/or Ordinary Board Member Application Template);
5. The term of the Chair is three years. The Chair cannot be re-elected. The time served as Chair is added to the one eventually served as Ordinary Board Member;
6. In order to allow a smooth transition between the Chairs, in the last quarter of the current Chair’s second-year term, a Chair-Elect must be nominated by the Board from the current Board members. The Chair-Elect will assist the current Chair in his/her duties and will maintain his/her current active role within the Board. Once the Chair-Elect starts his/her term as Chair, he/she ends his/her previous position by accepting the new one.
7. At the end of the Chair’s 3-year mandate, he/she will remain in the Board, with voice but no vote, as Past-Chair for one extra year
8. The term of the Ordinary Members is 3 years and can be renewed for a further 3-year term only.
9. Once an Ordinary Board Member has served his/her term(s), a minimum break of three years before applying for the same Committee is required unless he/she applies for the position of Chair;
10. No Board Member can remain within the Board as an active voting member for more than 9 consecutive years and if this happens, a minimum break of three years before applying for the same Committee is requested;
11. All members are nominated by the Board and must be approved by the Council before their term can start;
12. The term of the Ex-Officio member is that of his/her term within the Council. The Ex-Officio Member represents the GNC within the Council;
13. Any member can end their position within the Board by voluntary resignation, by exclusion due to serious and well-founded reasons, by not attending two Board meetings in a year without a valid reason or by natural rotation due to the end of their term;
14. During elections/voting held within the Committee, in case of an equal number of votes, the Chair has the casting vote;
15. A diploma will be given to all Board Members ending their term. For more information, one should refer to the appropriate section in the General Rules for ERA Committees;
16. The GNC is supported in its activities by the ERA HQ.

III. Advisory Board meetings

1. As mentioned above, the Ex-Officio Member will represent GNC within the Council, however, the Chair of the GNC Board can be invited when deemed necessary to attend Council Meetings;
2. The GNC Board Members should meet at least once a year face-to-face and, if needed, will organise teleconferences in order to coordinate their activities;
3. For the rules regarding the reimbursement policy for GNC Board Members who participate in face-to-face meetings one must refer to the General Rules for ERA Committees;
4. All ERA GNC publications, if any, and initiatives must clearly mention the fact that the GNC is an official body of ERA and must comply with what is written with regard to this matter in the General Rules for ERA Committees. The sentence approved by Council related to this matter is: “This article (to be adapted accordingly) was written by (to be adapted accordingly) on behalf of the ERA GNC which is an official body of the ERA (European Renal Association).

Last update: October 2022