At the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), we have engaged in an extensive process of reflection on our own work, our research, our goals and values, as well as our organizational structure. As a result, we have strategically, thematically, and structurally repositioned our institute with the aim of more effectively shaping the necessary and difficult transformation towards sustainability in light of all the current challenges.
In our Institute Strategy 2024–2030, we present our vision for this transformation in detail. We are convinced that in order to preserve the foundations of our existence in the long term and to enable people to live well within planetary boundaries, multifaceted and profound changes are inevitable. Technological innovations will play a role here, but given the diverse sustainability challenges, transformations of current lifestyles and economic systems are also urgently needed.
For over three and a half decades, our research teams have been developing solutions for such transformations in collaboration with practical actors. To this end, they study the relationships between society and nature, for example, as reflected in the type and extent of resource use in energy, water, and land, in consumption, mobility, and leisure behavior, or in dealing with environmental risks.
However, the sustainability crises are becoming more complex, as evidenced by the consequences of climate change or biodiversity loss. New challenges are emerging: While scientific consensus on the urgency of these transformations is nearly unanimous, resistance to new approaches and measures that can demonstrably advance socio-ecological change is growing in parts of society.
Risks and Conflicts in Transformation Processes
We have therefore thoroughly explored the question of how the necessary transformations can be realized in society, despite escalating conflicts and inequalities. We are convinced that we must consider both the risks and trade-offs of transformation, as well as the synergies and opportunities for social participation in sustainability transformations. People must be involved in the constructive negotiation of conflicts in all their diversity if long-term transformations toward sustainability are to succeed.
This means that if we want to develop scientifically grounded and practical solutions to the environmental and climate challenges of our time, we must take people's concerns, fears, and needs seriously and foster dialogue about the opportunities and obstacles of societal, political, and economic actions. Our new claim, "Advancing Knowledge for Sustainability," reflects our goal of considering all of this and generating the urgently needed knowledge for sustainable transformation processes through our research.
New Website After Comprehensive Relaunch
For our work at ISOE, this means that we have sharpened our research profile to highlight the pressing scientific questions associated with the current sustainability crises more clearly. Accordingly, we have further aligned our research topics with the associated transformation processes and optimized our workflows in a comprehensive process of organizational development.
With a comprehensive relaunch, reflected in a new logo, a new corporate design for our institute, and the launch of our new website today, we aim to make the results of our internal process visible to the outside world.
We warmly invite you to get to know our perspective on sustainability issues, our vision for solutions, as well as our mission, values, and research work, and we look forward to engaging with you.
Warm regards,
Dr. Nicola Schuldt-Baumgart
Head of Knowledge Communication & Public Relations, Press spokeswoman
