Global trends in sustainability science - From
academic advances to application in public policy
COPERNICUS Alliance Conference 2016: Sustainability Transformation of Science Systems,
September 14th-15th 2016, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Maik Adomßent
Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany
14.09.2016 1Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
http://en.unesco.org/sdgs
14.09.2016 2Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
Global initiatives and structures
The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is United Nations central
platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and
the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted at the United Nations Sustainable
Development Summit on 25 September 2015.
The Forum, which adopts a Ministerial Declaration, is expected to provide political
leadership, guidance and recommendations on the 2030 Agenda’s implementation and
follow-up; keep track of progress of the SDGs; spur coherent policies informed by
evidence, science and country experiences; as well as address new and emerging issues.
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14.09.2016 5Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
How to identify intervention
points and develop strategies
to enable fundamental
transformation processes in
socio-environmental / socio-
technical systems?
Key issues in Sustainability Science
What are the underlying
epistemological assumptions that
sustainability research is based
on?
How can central competencies for
shaping a sustainable society be
communicated and imparted
effectively?
How can mutual learning
processes between science
and other social groups of
actors be realized to foster
sustainable development?
How can analytical-descriptive
knowledge about global
interrelations and context-
specific, solution-oriented
research to be made mutually
utilisable?
Lang (2016)
14.09.2016 6Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
Scientific Sustainability Science Community Higher Education for Sustainable Development
(Science) Policy Transfer Addressees
qualifies young scientists
generation of
new knowledge
societal
relevance
innovation
qualifies
multiplicators
(HE) teachers,
T-o-T)
capacity
buildingAgenda setting and
transdisciplinary exchange
provides relevant insights for education
evaluation
scientific
counselling
Figure modified according to Mevissen & Simon (2013)
14.09.2016 7Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
Current projects addressing some ‚hot topics‘ at Faculty of Sustainability, Lüneburg
� Complexity or control? Paradigms for sustainable Development.
What are the fundamental conceptual, theoretical, methodological, epistemological and
social/cultural dimensions for a science of sustainable development, one that takes all the
complexities of the problem into account?
� Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation.
Understanding how changes in interconnected social-ecological systems facilitate the
transformation to sustainability represents one of the key challenges of sustainability science.
Drawing on insights from systems thinking and solution-oriented transdisciplinary research, this
project will focus on hitherto under-recognized leverage points—system properties where a
small shift can lead to fundamental changes in the system as a whole.
� Challenges of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary knowledge production: Institutions,
Cultures and Communities (ICC).
Research objectives: epistemic objectives aiming at a deeper understanding institutions, (epis-
temic) cultures, communities related to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary knowledge pro-
duction, and transformative objectives that aim at contributing to transform cultures of know-
ledge production and support institutional changes.
14.09.2016 8Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
Initiative 2042: A transformative longitudinal study
Transformation processes can only be understood by looking at them in a long term per-
spective. Therefore the initiative 2042 wants to analyze progress of sustainability trans-
formation at local, national, and international levels over a period of 50 years (1992-2042).
Furthermore the initiative 2042 wants to contribute to societal transformation proces-
ses through focused transformative research projects. Therefore a network with cooperati-
on partners from the academic and non-academic fields is being established.
transformation via a “Transformation Radar"
Aims of the 2042 initiative
Deepen the understanding of sustainability transformations
Develop, test, and implement a longitudinal study that documents and communicates
Contribute to societal, technological, and other transformation processes through focused
transformative research projects and case studies.
Network building with national and international actors from academic and non-academic
fields which like to shape/collaborate within the initiative or like to use the initiative as
creative collaboration space.
http://www.leuphana.de/en/research/leuphanas-knowledge-
initiatives/sustainability-research/initiative-2042.html
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Characteristics of a Community-of-Interest in contrast with those of a
Community-of-Practice (after Fischer & Ostwald, 2005)
Community-of-Interest
Common task across
multiple domains
From different domains
(stakeholders)
Exchange of knowledge
between domains; integration
of multiple knowledge
systems
Reaching shared
understanding
Resolving a complex
problem
No real communication
Creative and robust solutions
by making all voices heard
Characteristic Community-of-Practice
Nature of
problems
Different tasks in the same
domain
Members From the same domain
(novices and experts)
Knowledge
development
Exchange of knowledge
within the practice;
refinement of domain-specific
knowledge system
Learning Growing from novice to
expert
Major
objective
Growth in domain-specific
knowledge
Threat group think
Opportunity Fast progress due to shared
background
14.09.2016 10Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
Scientific Sustainability Science Community Higher Education for Sustainable Development
(Science) Policy Transfer Addressees
qualifies young scientists
generation of
new knowledge
societal
relevance
innovation
qualifies
multiplicators
(HE) teachers,
T-o-T)
capacity
buildingAgenda setting and
transdisciplinary exchange
provides relevant insights for education
evaluation
scientific
counselling
Figure modified according to Mevissen & Simon (2013)
14.09.2016 11Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?page=view&nr=1101&type=230&menu=2059
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few EU transnational projects explicitly aim at fostering sustainability science
VISION RD4SD project (VISION Research and Development for Sustainable
Development), supported by the European Commission 7th Framework Program
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Available online:
http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/publikationen/policy-
relevant-sustainability-research
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Broadening the Application of the Sustainability Science Approach
Overall purpose of the project
� foster dialogues and disseminate concrete policy messages that will assist Member
States to introduce the approach of sustainability science when responding to global
challenges in which science and other relevant knowledge has a critical role to play.
The operational objectives of the project are:
To formulate a series of policy messages, regional and global, in the form of conceptual
and methodological guidance on sustainability science, for consideration by Member
States;
To identify the main elements of a possible UNESCO initiative on sustainability
science (work plan, expected outputs and outcomes, timeline for implementing the
activities, related budget, and strategic partnerships), as a common output from the three
symposia, to be presented to the General Conference of UNESCO in the fall of 2017; and
To establish a steering committee to act in an advisory role in the selection of target
audiences for the symposia, provide scientific quality advice to UNESCO in the execution
of the project, and in the dissemination of findings and results of the three symposia
2-year joint project of UNESCO and Japan/MEXT (Ministry
of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Adomßent/Aricò (2016)
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Three symposia will showcase inputs and know-how of several stakeholders
including policymakers, academia and scientists
Symposium 1 “Inception Symposium”
explored ways to bridge academic work on sustainability science with the growing interest
for this approach on behalf of the policy-making community
also considered a pioneer platform through the demonstration of scientific perspectives
and successful case studies on sustainability science
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14.09.2016 17Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
Three symposia @ (continued)
Symposium 2: Thematic/Regional Symposium 19-21 December 2016 at Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Start assessing the tailored applicability of the sustainability science approach,
thematically and at the regional level, by organizing one regional symposium involving all
of UNESCO’s five regions
Symposium 3: Global policy symposium at UNESCO Headquarters in 2017
Pave the ground to attaining consensus on global policy messages from UNESCO
Member States by organizing a global policy symposium to design a UNESCO initiative on
sustainability science
Framework for action, consisting of
� policy guidelines resulting from the previous two symposia, as well as next steps related to
the
� establishment of an initiative on sustainability science in UNESCO
14.09.2016 18Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
The Inception Symposium ended with some key questions:
What kind of knowledge is needed to inform the 2030 Development Agenda?
How can natural and social sciences engage in a dialogue with each other as well as
with other relevant knowledge such as indigenous and local knowledge in producing
the required knowledge basis?
Can co-design of research questions based on the involvement of multiple
stakeholders be scaled-up from local realities to address national and international
challenges?
How can the education sector adapt to promote inter- and transdisciplinarity?
What are the new institutional settings that may be required for mainstreaming
knowledge on sustainability issues?
Adomßent/Aricò (2016)
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Broadening the Sustainability science approach: Challenges and required steps
With the success of sustainability science, the focus is now shifting from academic questions
of definitions and methods
to the challenge of how it can be applied to transforming society,
and how a scientific approach can solve real problems in society.
Key issues to be addressed:
� Moving beyond the interdisciplinary to a transdisciplinary approach. How to better link
processes of research planning, monitoring and assessment, and decision support, to build
systems for adaptive management and societal learning.
� Education and capacity building. Applying sustainability science requires special social
competencies, particularly the ability to build and coordinate multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Effective educational programs are needed to develop in students the skills necessary for
engaging with these varied stakeholders and acting in a coordinated manner.
� Networking and North-South collaboration. The innovative approach of sustainability
science requires networks and partnerships. North–South collaboration is of particular
importance, and for these capacity development and funding initiatives is essential to build
research capacity. Local and regional networks must be linked with global networks, such as
the Future Earth Initiative.Adomßent/Aricò (2016)
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PD Dr. phil. Maik Adomßent
email: [email protected]
phone: +49.4131.677 2924
Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication
UNESCO Chair „Higher Education for Sustainable Development“
Scharnhorststrasse 1
D - 21335 Lüneburg
Germany
www.leuphana.de/en/institute/infu.html
14.09.2016 21Adomßent / Sustainability science – from academic advances to public policy
Adomßent, M. (2013): Exploring universities' transformative potential for sustainability-bound learning in changing landscapes of
knowledge communication. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 49: 11-24
Adomßent, M. & Aricò, S. (2016): Broadening the Application of the Sustainability Science Approach. IAU Horizons, vol. 22, no.1 & 2 (in
press).
Adomßent, M. & Michelsen, G. (2016): Leuphana University Lüneburg and the sustainability challenge: a review and a preview. In: Franz-
Balsen, A. & Kruse, L. (Eds.): Human Ecology Studies and Higher Education for Sustainable Development: European Experiences
and Examples. Oekom, S. 57-86.
Adomßent, M., Fischer, D., Godemann, J., Herzig, C., Otte, I., Rieckmann, M., & Timm, J-M. (2014). Emerging Areas in Research on
Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Management education, sustainable consumption and perspectives from Central
and Eastern Europe. Journal of Cleaner Production, 62 (1), 1-7. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.09.045
Beringer, A. & Adomßent, M. (2008): Sustainable university research and development: inspecting sustainability in higher education
research. In: Environmental Education Research 14 (6), 607-623.
Clark, W.C. (2007): Sustainability science: A room of its own. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104 (6): 1737-1738.
http://www.pnas.org/content/104/6/1737.full?ck=nck
Fischer, G. & Ostwald, J. (2005): Knowledge Communication in Design Communities. In: R. Bromme, F. W. Hesse, & H. Spada (Eds.),
Barriers and Biases in Computer-Mediated Knowledge Communication, Springer, New York, N.Y., pp. 213-242.
Kajikawa, Y (2008): Research core and framework of sustainability science. Sustainability Science 3: 215-239; DOI 10.1007/s11625-008-
0053-1
Komiyama, H. & Takeuchi, K. (2006): Sustainability science: building a new discipline. Sustainability Science 1: 1-6; DOI 10.1007/s11625-
006-0007-4
Lang, D. (2016): presentation of 9 March 2016 at Leuphana University (unpublished)
Mevissen, N.; Simon, D. (2013): ‚Vielfältige‘ Organisationen. Der Wissens- und Technologietransfer als Herausforderung für die
außeruniversitäre Forschung. In: Soziale Welt – Zeitschrift für sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung und Praxis 64 (4), 361–380.
Michelsen, Gerd, Adomßent, Maik, Martens, Pim; von Hauff, Michael (2016): Sustainable Development – Background and Context. In:
Heinrichs, Harald; Marten, Pim; Michelsen, Gerd; Wiek, Arnim (Eds.): Sustainability Science. An Introduction. Springer, pp. 5-29.
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