Environmental Sciences Europe
About transformation in transdisciplinary approaches
Helge Kminek et al.
2026
Flurina Schneider is scientific director of ISOE and professor in social ecology and transdisciplinarity at Goethe University Frankfurt. She is also spokesperson of the Research Activity “Biodiversity, social-ecological dynamics and transformative change” at the Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research. Her research focuses on learning and action for sustainability transformations, as well as on transdisciplinary research and science policy for sustainability. She graduated in geography, botany and law at University of Basel, and received her venia docendi by the University of Bern. As a member of the Hessian Climate Advisory Council, she advises the state government on issues relating to climate protection and sustainability.
Upcoming Event
Focus of research
- Sustainability science and social-ecological research
- Learning and action for sustainability transformations
- Transdisciplinary co-production of knowledge
- Science policy for sustainability
Memberships
- Scientific Climate Council of the Hessian State Government (Vice Chairwoman)
- Society for Transdisciplinary and Participatory Research (GTPF) (Associate Member of the Board)
- Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity (ITD Alliance)
- Global Land Project (GLP)
- Future Earth Pathways Initiative
- Swiss Academic Society for Environmental Research and Ecology (SAGUF)
Projects at CDE, University of Bern
- Managing telecoupled landscapes
- Learning processes for transformative research (abgeschlossen)
- Theories of change for transformative science (abgeschlossen)
- Increasing the Effectiveness of Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Development (abgeschlossen)
- Approaching water stress in the Alps (MontanAqua) (abgeschlossen)
Publications
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- Burkhart, Stefanie, Flurina Schneider (2026): Whose knowledge counts for transformative change? – Operationalizing epistemic justice for transdisciplinary knowledge co-production. Environmental Science and Policy 176, 104322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104322
- Fritz, Livia, Stefanie Burkhart, Flurina Schneider (2026): Power in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research: Theories, Manifestations, and Navigation Strategies. Annual Review of Environment and Resources 51, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112923-100153
- Kminek, Helge, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Thomas Friedrich, Henner Hollert, Johanna Kramm, Antje Schlottmann, Carolin Völker, Flurina Schneider (2026): About transformation in transdisciplinary approaches. Environmental Sciences Europe, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-026-01402-y
- Nieß, Sarah, Flurina Schneider, Steffen U. Pauls, Sebastian Schuch, Marion Mehring (2026): Growing change: Promoting insect-friendly behaviour through gardening-framed interventions. Biological Conservation 313, 111565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111565
- Schneider, Flurina, Fanny Frick-Trzebitzky, Tobias Buser, Sebastian Barnett, Andrea Sebastian Behrent, Sophia Marisa Evertz, Julia Holzwarth, Velin Hristov, Lisa Langhammer, Hanna Sommer, Julia Schwab, Stefanie Stoller, Lara Wiedman, Iris Dresler, Harry Kleespies, Verena Rossow (2026): Lebenswerter Stadtplatz. Zukunftsfähige Stadträume durch transdisziplinäre Gestaltung. ISOE-Materialien Soziale Ökologie 79. Frankfurt am Main. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21980664
- Keil, Florian, Melina Stein, Flurina Schneider (2025): Transdisciplinary research with and for artificial intelligence. Integration and Implementation Insights. https://i2insights.org/2025/08/19/transdisciplinarity-and-artificial-intelligence/#more-43072
- Mehring, Marion, Diana Hummel, Lukas Sattlegger, Immanuel Stieß, Flurina Schneider (2025): Trendwende zur Erhaltung der Biodiversität: Dimensionen einer sozial-ökologischen Transformation. Bending the curve of biodiversity loss: Dimensions of a social-ecological transformation. Natur und Landschaft 100 (6), 234–239
- Nölting, Benjamin, Jürgen Kopfmüller, Anne B. Zimmermann, Philip Bernert, Matthias Barth, Sophia Becker, Daniel Fischer, Heike Molitor, Harald Pechlaner, Flurina Schneider, Pia-Johanna Schweizer, Christian Stamm, Patrick Wäger, Ralph Wilhelm (2025): Wissenschaftsorganisationen als Impulsgeber einer Nachhaltigkeitstransformation. GAIA 34 (2), 83–87. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.34.2.4
- Tolksdorf, Farina L., Marie Weiss, Amanda Jiménez-Aceituno, Nina Maria Frölich, Nana Adjoa B. Amoah, David P. M. Lam, Claire Grauer, Julia Baird, Corinna Ballnat, Andra-Ioana Horcea-Milcu, Bettina König, Rebecca Laycock Pedersen, María Máñez Costa, David Manuel-Navarrete, Dominic A. Martin, Bridget McGlynn, Marion Mehring, Susanne Mühlthaler, Flurina Schneider, Mandy Singer-Brodowski, Luciano Villalba, Annika Weiser, Daniel J. Lang (2025): Why context matters: understanding transdisciplinary research through the lens of nine context factors. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2025.2527104
- Lundsgaard-Hansen, Lara M., Nwe Nwe Tun, Aung Mying Htun, Win Myint, Flurina Schneider (2024): Participatory Visioning and Future Planning: Backcasting with Myanmar Farmers for a more Sustainable Future. Methodological Report. Bern, Switzerland: Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern
- Lux, Alexandra, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Flurina Schneider (2024): Transdisciplinary Research Process. In: Darbellay, Frédéric (Ed.): Elgar Encyclopedias in the Social Sciences series. Edward Elgar Publishing, 553–557
- Lux, Alexandra, Oskar Marg, Flurina Schneider (2024): Integration. In: Darbellay, Frédéric (Ed.): Elgar Encyclopedias in the Social Sciences series. Edward Elgar Publishing, 277–280
- Marciniak, Gilles, Davnah Urbach, Flurina Schneider, Cornelia Krug, Ariane Bremond, Mark Stafford-Smith, Odirilwe Selomane, Rebecca Fenn, Natalie Chong, Sandrine Paillard (2024): Leveraging capacity for transformative sustainability science: a theory of change from the Future Earth Pathways Initiative. Global Sustainability 7 (e21), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2024.19
- Theiler, Lena, Alexandra Lux, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Flurina Schneider (2024): Schlüsselkonzepte und Umsetzung transdisziplinärer Forschung. Forschung 17 (1+2), 3–8
- Kaljonen, Minna, Johanna Jacobi, Kaisa Korhonen-Kurki, Jani P. Lukkarinen, Anna Ott, Juha Peltomaa, Flurina Schneider, Theresa Tribaldos, Julie G. Zaehringer (2023): Reflexive use of methods: a framework for navigating different types of knowledge and power in transformative research. Sustainability Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-023-01431-z
- Schneider, Flurina, Zarina Patel, Katsia Paulavets, Tobias Buser, Jacqueline Kado, Stefanie Burkhart (2023): Fostering transdisciplinary research for sustainability in the Global South: Pathways to impact for funding programmes. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 10 (620), https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02138-3
- Sylvester, Francisco, Fabian G. Weichert, Verónica L. Lozano, Ksenia J. Groh, Miklos Bálint, Lisa Baumann, Claus Bässler, Werner Brack, Barbara Brandl, Joachim Curtius, Paul Dierkes, Petra Döll, Ingo Ebersberger, Sotirios Fragkostefanakis, Eric J. N. Helfrich, Thomas Hickler, Sarah Johann, Jonas Jourdan, Sven Klimpel, Helge Kminek, Florencia Liquin, Darrel Möllendorf, Thomas Müller, Jörg Oehlmann, Richard Ottermanns, Steffen U. Pauls, Meike Piepenbring, Jakob Pfefferle, Gerrit Jasper Schenk, Scheepens J. F. Niek , Martin Scheringer, Sabrina Schiwy, Antje Schlottmann, Flurina Schneider, Lisa M. Schulte, Maria Schulze-Sylvester, Ernst Stelzer, Frederic Strobl, Andrea Sundermann, Klement Tockner, Tobias Tröger, Andreas Vilcinskas, Carolin Völker, Ricarda Winkelmann, Henner Hollert (2023): Better integration of chemical pollution research will further our understanding of biodiversity loss. nature ecology & evolution 7, 1552–1555. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02117-6
- Weiser, Annika, Matthias Wanner, Franziska Stelzer, Daniel J. Lang, Hilke Berger, Agnes Förster, Christa Liedtke, Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz, Jörg Niewöhner, Oliver Parodi, Thomas Potthast, Flurina Schneider, Franziska Sörgel, Michael Ziehl, Gesa Ziemer (2023): Exploring fruitful links between real-world laboratory and disciplinary research. Introduction of the DKN Future Earth working group LinkLab. GAIA 32 (3), 335–337
- Brack, Werner, Damia Barcelo Culleres, Alistair B. A. Boxall, Hélène Budzinski, Sara Castiglioni, Adrian Covaci, Valeria Dulio, Beate I. Escher, Peter Fantke, Faith Kandie, Despo Fatta-Kassinos, Félix J. Hernández, Klara Hilscherová, Juliane Hollender, Henner Hollert, Annika Jahnke, Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern, Stuart J. Khan, Andreas Kortenkamp, Klaus Kümmerer, Brice Lalonde, Marja H. Lamoree, Yves Levi, Pablo Antonio Lara Martin, Cassian C. Montagner, Christian Mougin, Titus Msagati, Jörg Oehlmann, Leo Posthuma, Malcom Reid, Martin Reinhard, Susan D. Richardson, Pawel Rostkowski, Emma Schymanski, Flurina Schneider, Jaroslav Slobodnik, Yasuyuki Shibata, Shane Allen Snyder, Fernando Fabriz Sodré, Ivana Teodorovic, Kevin V. Thomas, Gisela A. Umbuzeiro, Pham Hung Viet, Karina Gin Yew-Hoong, Yiaowei Zhang, Ettore Zuccato (2022): One planet: one health. A call to support the initiative on a global science-policy body on chemicals and waste. Environmental Sciences Europe 34 (21), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-022-00602-6
- Llopis, Jorge C., Clara L. Diebold, Flurina Schneider, Paul C. Harimalala, O. Ravaka Andriamihaja, Peter Messerli, Julie G. Zaehringer (2022): Mixed impacts of protected areas and a cash crop boom on human well-being in North-Eastern Madagascar. People and Nature, https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10377
- Lundsgaard-Hansen, Lara M., Christoph Oberlack, Glenn Hunt, Flurina Schneider (2022): The (In)Ability of a Multi-Stakeholder Platform to Address Land Conflicts-Lessons Learnt from an Oil Palm Landscape in Myanmar. Land 11 (8), 1348. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081348
- Nölting, Benjamin, Bettina König, Anne B. Zimmermann, Antonietta Di Giulio, Martina Schäfer, Flurina Schneider (2022): Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic: an opportunity to reflect on sustainability research. NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00550-022-00528-w
- Patel, Zarina, Flurina Schneider, Katsia Paulavets (2022): Linking Local Projects With Global Processes: Learning From Transdisciplinary Collaborations in African Cities. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities 4:806053, https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2022.806053
- Schneider, Flurina (2022): "Klimaschutz ist eine gesellschaftspolitische Gestaltungsaufgabe" - Ein Impuls von Flurina Schneider zum Globalen Klimastreik am 23.09.2022. ISOE Blog Soziale Ökologie. Krise - Kritik - Gestaltung. https://www.isoe.de/blog/klimaschutz-ist-eine-gesellschaftspolitische-gestaltungsaufgabe-ein-impuls-von-flurina-schneider-zum-globalen-klimastreik-am-23-09-2022
- Schneider, Flurina, Aymara Llanque-Zonta, O. Ravaka Andriamihaja, R. Ntsiva N. Andriatsitohaina, Aung Myin Tun, Kiteme Boniface, Johanna Jacobi, Enrico Celio, Clara L. Diebold, Laby Patrick, Phokham Latthachack, Jorge C. Llopis, Lara M. Lundsgaard-Hansen, Peter Messerli, Stellah Mukhovi, Nwe Nwe Tun, Zo Hasina Rabemananjara, Bruno Salomon Ramamonjisoa, Sithong Thongmanivong, Thoumthone Vongvisouk, Daovorn Thongphanh, Win Myint, Julie Gwendolin Zaehringer (2022): How context affects transdisciplinary research: insights from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Sustainability Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01201-3
- Lundsgaard-Hansen, Lara M., Florence Metz, Manuel Fischer, Flurina Schneider, Win Myint, Peter Messerli (2021): The making of land use decisions, war, and state. Journal of Land Use Science, https://doi.org/10.1080/1747423X.2021.1961897
- Schneider, Flurina, Theresa Tribaldos (2021): Finding ways to sustainability through the "network compass". Bern, Switzerland: Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern. https://doi.org/10.48350/149709
- Schneider, Flurina, Theresa Tribaldos, Carolina Adler, Reinette Biggs, Ariane Bremond, Tobias Buser, Cornelia Krug, Marie-France Loutre, Sarah Moore, Albert V. Norström, Katsia Paulavets, Davnah Urbach, Eva Spehn, Gabriela Wülser, Ruben Zondervan (2021): Co-production of knowledge and sustainability transformations: a strategic compass for global research networks. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 49 (April), 127–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2021.04.007
- Schneider, Flurina, Theresa Tribaldos, Stefanie Burkhart (2021): Navigating towards sustainability: how research networks can make a difference using the 'network compass'. ISOE Blog Soziale Ökologie. Krise - Kritik - Gestaltung. https://www.isoe.de/en/blog/navigating-towards-sustainability-how-research-networks-can-make-a-difference-using-the-network-compass
- Tribaldos, Theresa, Flurina Schneider (2021): Enabling Players to Develop Theories of Change for Sustainable Development: A Serious Game. Simultation & Gaming, https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781211022399
- Schneider, Flurina, Mélanie Feurer, Lara Maria Lundsgaard-Hansen, Win Myint, Cing Don Nuam, Katharina Nydegger, Christoph Oberlack, Nwe Nwe Tun, Julie Gwendolin Zähringer, Aung Myin Tun, Peter Messerli (2020): Sustainable Development Under Competing Claims on Land: Three Pathways Between Land-Use Changes, Ecosystem Services and Human Well-Being. The European Journal of Development Research 32 (2), 316–337. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-020-00268-x
- Schneider, Flurina, Markus Giger, Nicole Harari, Stephanie Moser, Christoph Oberlack, Isabelle Providoli, Leonie Schmid, Theresa Tribaldos, Anne Zimmermann (2019): Transdisciplinary co-production of knowledge and sustainability transformations: Three generic mechanisms of impact generation. Environmental Science and Policy 102, 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.08.017
- Schneider, Flurina, Andreas Kläy, Anne B. Zimmermann, Tobias Buser, Micah Ingalls, Peter Messerli (2019): How can science support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? Four tasks to tackle the normative dimension of sustainability. Sustainability Science 14, 1593–1604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00675-y
Current Publications
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About transformation in transdisciplinary approaches -
Whose knowledge counts for transformative change? – Operationalizing epistemic justice for transdisciplinary knowledge co-production Environmental Science and PolicyWhose knowledge counts for transformative change? – Operationalizing epistemic justice for transdisciplinary knowledge co-production
Stefanie Burkhart, Flurina Schneider
2026 -
Power in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research: Theories, Manifestations, and Navigation Strategies Annual Review of Environment and ResourcesPower in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research: Theories, Manifestations, and Navigation Strategies
Livia Fritz, Stefanie Burkhart, Flurina Schneider
2026 -
Fostering transdisciplinary research for sustainability in the Global South: Pathways to impact for funding programmes Humanities and Social Sciences CommunicationsFostering transdisciplinary research for sustainability in the Global South: Pathways to impact for funding programmes
Flurina Schneider et al.
2023 -
How context affects transdisciplinary research: insights from Asia, Africa and Latin America Sustainability ScienceHow context affects transdisciplinary research: insights from Asia, Africa and Latin America
Flurina Schneider et al.
2022
