Speakers

Speakers day 1

Sustainability in a changing world - Ana Iglesias (UPMadrid, Spain)

Abstract - I will provide some sustainability thoughts and examples in food and environment policy. 
 There is a great knowledge gap on the sustainability targets of many environmental and social values. While values-based approaches are receiving increased attention by scholars, it is unclear to what extent they are being adopted by decision-makers. 
 Sustainability policies typically focus on the need to protect communities, and minimize impacts on the natural environment, such as ensuring ecosystem resilience. A notable absence from many plans includes ethical considerations into the assessment process that would lead to informed more socially-oriented adaptation policies. 
 The ethical considerations of the assessment process can only be addressed in a systemic approach that includes fairness, resiliency, health, circularity and carbon neutrality. These values establish systemic links to the main elements to be considered in the ethical assessment: societal needs, innovation, behavioural change and long-term visions of society. Clearly, the process is complex and demands more research, innovation and improved policies. 

Bio - Ana Iglesias is a Professor of Environmental Economics and Policy at the UPM, Spain, and previously a Research Scientist at Columbia University, New York. She is also a member of the Center for Agricultural and Environmental Risks of the UPM. Her research focuses on the interactions between global change, agriculture, and water, with particular emphasis on economic impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. She currently leads several EU projects related to adaptation policy. Her work has been published in over two hundred papers and she has been contributing author to the IPCC since 1995; in the IPCC report of 2014 she was the Review Editor of the Economics of Climate Change. Since 2016 is a Member of the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency (EEA). Orchid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3183-6658

Transformational sustainability science for strong sustainability: from epistemology to practice - Tom Dedeurwaerdere (UCLouvain, Belgium)

Abstract - Although necessary in the short term, “weak” sustainability approaches – based on the substitution of natural capital with technological solutions – are likely to be insufficient to promote human development within the limits of the planetary boundaries. In response to the failure of these approaches in addressing the urgent socio-ecological crises that humanity is facing, researchers, social movements, social entrepreneurs, and policymakers have developed so-called strong sustainability approaches based on an integration of three components : (1) a goal of regenerating of the basic life‐supporting systems and processes on Earth; (2) addressing environmental justice and (3) developing environmental citizenship. This strong conception of sustainability has important consequences for the organisation of sustainability research, which needs to adopt a broad and integrated socio-ecological systems approach, and forge new partnerships with societal actors through transdisciplinary knowledge co-production. The presentation will introduce these recent trends in sustainability research and discuss some its main challenges.

Bio - Tom Dedeurwaerdere is professor in philosophy of science and theory of governance at the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, and senior research associate at the National Foundation for Scientific Research. His recent work has focused on sustainability science and the development of transdisciplinary research methodologies for field work on sustainability transformations. In 2024 he published a monograph on “Transdisciplinary Research, Sustainability and Social Transformation” at Routledge, which is available in open access.

From better to good enough - introducing an absolute sustainability perspective on technology - Michael Z. Hauschild (DTU, Denmark)

Abstract - While technologies and products generally become more eco-efficient with time, delivering their services with less environmental impact, we don’t see this trend reflected in society’s overall environmental impacts. Climate change impacts are approaching critical tipping points and we are losing species at rates that qualify our times as the sixth known mass extinction episode in the history of our planet, due to our use of land, our pollution of the environment with chemicals and … climate change. This calls for a shift from relative to absolute perspectives in the assessment of environmental sustainability of our technologies, from whether one solution is better than another to whether any of them are good enough. The paper introduces the concept of absolute sustainability and gives examples of how it can be measured and how it is already implemented in society today.

Bio - Michael Z. Hauschild is professor in quantitative assessment of sustainability at the the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) where he leads the DTU Centre on Absolute Sustainability. He has worked on the development of methods for sustainability assessment of products and technologies for 30 years and has served as chair on working groups under UNEP developing the scientific consensus model USEtox (www.usetox.org) for assessment of chemical impacts on health and environment. He has acted as a consultant to the European Commission, creating the groundwork for Commission’s standard methodology for life cycle assessment (LCA) of products and systems. In 2018 he received the SETAC Europe Lifetime Achievement in LCA Award. He has authored or co-authored more than 260 peer reviewed scientific publications and a leading textbook on Life Cycle Assessment with more than 150 000 downloads.

More information about Michael Z. Hauschild here

Sustainable food packaging - Sandra Muižniece-Brasava (LBTU, Latvia)

Abstract - Packaging – its brilliance and misery. In recent years, packaging has become a more important part of marketing, contributing to a significant increase in packaging-related waste. Package sizes, filling, double packaging. Packaging sustainability and related challenges. Is packaging that looks eco-friendly really is? How does changing packaging affect the preservation of food quality? Eco design strategy. Aspects that promote and change non-recyclable packaging to recyclable. Interaction and responsibility of parties involved in the packaging life cycle.

Bio – Sandra Muizniece-Brasava, Dr.sc.ing. (Doctor of Engineering), Professor at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology. She has 24-year experience in food packaging sector: materials, packaging technologies and new food product development. She is a leading researcher.  Scientific direction is estimation of the novel, optimal and environment friendly food product packaging materials and packaging technologies. 20 years of experience in different projects related to food packaging field (international and national). She is a  chairwoman of the board of Packaging Assocaiation of Latvia. She is Correspondent Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. In 2024 included in the TOP 12 of Latvian scientists in the "Research Latvia 2024" calendar. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6033-6241

Speakers day 2

Opportunities and challenges of transdisciplinary sustainability research - Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at KIT, Germany)

Abstract - Transdisciplinarity as a research practice enables solution-oriented mutual learning processes between scientists from different disciplines and relevant stakeholders from other areas of society. The aim is both (i) to contribute to solving fundamental sustainability problems and (ii) to gain new scientific insights. In my presentation, I will first introduce some conceptual foundations of solution-oriented sustainability research and transdisciplinarity as well as transdisciplinary learning. Furthermore, I will present real-world laboratories as research settings in which transdisciplinary learning can be realized and outline core characteristics of this innovative transdisciplinary research format. This will tie in directly with the following presentation by Christina West. I will give some insights into our own transdisciplinary laboratory research to illustrate the different, more conceptual considerations.
Finally, I will offer some reflections on the challenges of real-world lab research and transdisciplinary sustainability research in general, and outline relevant areas for further development of this research setting and practice to realize their full potential to promote sustainability transformations.

Bio - Daniel J. Lang has been a professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) since November 2022 and heads the research group "Designing Real-World Laboratory Research" at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS). Before joining KIT, he was Professor for Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research at Leuphana University of Lüneburg. He is also a founding member of the Society for Transdisciplinary and Participatory Research (GTPF).

With Inter- and Transdisciplinary Real-world LABs to Sustainable Development and Science?! - Christina West (DELTA, Hochschule Darmstadt, Germany)

Abstract - The basic idea for Real-World Labs is based on the main report “World in Transition” by the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Federal Government for Global Environmental Change (WBGU 2011), in which a social contract for the “Great Transformation towards Sustainability” was developed. Based on the idea of the “Great Transformation” (Polanyi 1944), the urgent need for a post-fossil economy, is justified. In the WBGU's understanding, science and research play an essential role in scientifically reflecting and supporting the “Great Transformation towards Sustainability” with all its sub-areas. Urgently needed is a new understanding of innovation, which leads to a development paradigm that does not one-sided focus on technical-technological innovation and economic aspects and thus sees sustainable development as social technology and repair and aim to reduce complexity (West 2019), but instead actively takes into account, deciphers and redesign the complexity of innovation processes that result from the various planetary and social challenges. Scientists are also in demand: The “Great Transformation” (WBGU 2011) therefore needs “movement in science” (Schneidewind 2011), which brings together scientists and universities together with practical partners from politics, administration and planning, in cities and municipalities or state institutions, from business and companies as well as from civil society and NGOs, succeeds in re-defining their active functions in innovation processes in a research and critically reflective manner - in a transdisciplinary manner. This means that innovation concepts can be integrated with which sustainable development can be aligned with simultaneous and equal inclusion and consideration of the challenges of the five dimensions of sustainable development - the economic, ecological, social, cultural and political dimensions (West 2019). Using the example of three different real-world labs (thematically, spatially, actor constellations, duration, etc.), carried out between 2015 and 2024, it is shown how diverse and different real-world labs are and how the challenges of sustainable development are dealt with: (1) “Sustainable Urban Development in the Knowledge Society”, (2) “Asylum Seekers at the Rhine-Neckar Region, (3) “DELTA | Darmstadt Energy Lab for Technologies in Application”.

Bio - Project and Research Lead in the inter-/transdisciplinary Real-World Lab DELTA | “Energy Academy” and “Protection of Resources by Urban Sharing Models”. Geographer, Philosopher, Philologist. Research focus: inter-/ transdisciplinary sustainable (urban) development, Real-world LABs for future-oriented sustainable development, Design and Development of processes at the interface of science, politics, business and civil society
 

Bridging scientists and policymakers to support sustainability with evidence-informed decision making - Armands Auzins (Riga TU, Latvia)

Abstract - The recognition of the challenges like resource overconsumption and inequality in its distribution particularly in urbanised areas, emphasise the necessity for a post-growth transition. Thus the socio-economic goal to increase the welfare of society has to be seen from different perspective. Supporting the transition towards sustainability in territorial developments, it is necessary to better understand how land use change affects the environment and how this, in turn, feeds back into human livelihood strategies or influences the vulnerability of people, places and businesses. Whereas national systems of governance and spatial planning have been the subject of various studies and analyses in the last 30 years, very little is known about how they are effectively promoting inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable development. Future sustainability paradigm should contribute not only to creating new knowledge, inspiration to critical thinking and actions, but more to involvement in building trust through dialogue and bridging scientific capacities with effective policy making. 

Bio - Armands Auziņš is a Professor of Land Management, Spatial Development and Urban Economics at the RTU, Latvia. He has more than 15 years’ experience of consulting in land use management. He is a leading researcher; the scientific expert of the Latvian Council of Sciences; and the author of more than fifty scientific publications. He is a member of several international societies and organisations, including the European Academy of Land Use and Development (EALD) and International Academic Association on Planning, Law and Property Rights (PLPR). He participates in national and international research and academic projects. His main interests contribute to the fields of sustainable spatial planning and development, public value capture, institutional economics and territorial governance. ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4341-5201.