ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research in Frankfurt am Main is one of the leading independent institutes for sustainability research. For more than 30 years the institute has been developing scientific bases and future oriented concepts for politics, civil society and the economy – regionally, nationally and internationally. Our research topics include water, energy, climate protection, mobility, urban spaces, biodiversity and social-ecological systems.

Knowledge transfer is the key to sustainable land use in Namibia +++ Water reuse in agriculture: HypoWave+ research project at IFAT 2022 +++ Research project “SCIP plastics”: Reducing plastic waste in Bangladesh +++ Heat pumps as a contribution to energy independence and climate protection +++ Groundwater – an invisible resource and (non-)visible problems +++ Risks from microplastics – public perception not in line with scientific studies +++ How cities can contribute to the preservation of insect diversity +++ Environmental awareness: Support for socio-ecological transformation +++ The integrative perspective in transdisciplinary research +++ ISOE Blog +++ Publications

ISOE Policy Brief Knowledge transfer is the key to sustainable land use in Namibia
		The state of research on the complex and highly dynamic topics of sustainable development and nature conservation is subject to constant change and expansion from a diverse range of disciplines. A targeted knowledge transfer between science, politics and society thus becomes a special challenge, given that transformation processes call for all stakeholders to be well trained and informed. In the...Read more

Water reuse in agriculture HypoWave+ research project at IFAT 2022
		The process of agricultural food production with recycled water, successfully developed in the HypoWave research project, is entering large-scale application for the first time. On a small scale, the model for hydroponic vegetable production with recycled irrigation water will be on display at IFAT in Munich. The HypoWave+ research team will be presenting the project from 30 May to 3 June 2022 in...Read more

ISOE research project for ocean protection “SCIP plastics”: Reducing plastic waste in Bangladesh
		Every day, around 480 tons of waste end up on the streets of Khulna, the largest city in the densely populated Ganges Delta. This includes vast quantities of plastic that is washed into the oceans via Bangladesh’s neighboring waters. Without countermeasures, marine pollution will continue to increase. The aim of the SCIP plastics joint project is therefore to establish a sustainable waste system...Read more

Energy transition Heat pumps as a contribution to energy independence and climate protection: how their implementation can succeed
		In order to achieve its climate goals and move towards more energy independence, the German government is planning a 100-billion-euro support package. In that context, the CO2 reduction targets for existing buildings are coming into focus. There is great potential in the provision of space heating and hot water supply alone: Energy-efficient heat pumps can support the shift from fossil fuels and...Read more

UN World Water Day 2022 Groundwater – an invisible resource and (non-)visible problems
		The United Nations has declared ‘Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible’ its theme for World Water Day on 22 March 2022. This is because policies and decision-makers have paid little attention to the global groundwater problem thus far. In many places, this precious resource is contaminated, and withdrawal from aquifers exceeds what can be replenished. The regulate research group led by ISOE –...Read more

Study on risk perception Risks from microplastics – public perception not in line with scientific studies
		Microplastics and the possible risks for the environment are highly debated. However, whereas scientists still see many open questions and have yet to complete their risk assessment, the general public ranks the environmental and health risks posed by microplastics as relatively high. Researchers coordinated by ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research have investigated the factors that...Read more

Biodiversity research The example of the Main metropolis: How cities can contribute to the preservation of insect diversity
		While insect extinction is progressing in forests, fields and nature reserves, cities are increasingly providing suitable habitats for insects. Therefore, urban society is  called upon to preserve their diversity as its behaviour has an influence on the biodiversity of dragonflies, bumblebees and related species. Using the example of the Main metropolis, Frankfurt’s research and practice partners,...Read more

Environmental awareness Support for socio-ecological transformation
		People in Germany expect politicians to do more for environmental protection and climate action. This might be due to the fact that awareness of the damaging influence of environmental pollution, for example through pollutants, air pollution or noise, has increased over the past 20 years. This is shown by the now available detailed evaluation of the study “Environmental Awareness in Germany 2020”,...Read more

tdAcademy The integrative perspective in transdisciplinary research
		Transdisciplinary research is all about initiating joint learning processes in science and society to tackle societal challenges, something which is particularly beneficial to sustainability research. However, the approach is complex, both in terms of the methodology and design and the communication between those involved in the research process. A recent article on the ISOE blog ‘Social Ecology’...Read more

To stay within the ecological carrying capacity of our planet, we need to fundamentally transform the economy. We must look beyond technological solutions to find truly regenerative ways of living which restore rather than further deplete natural capital. Such a nature-based economy hinges on social innovations and new economic thinking, including degrowth and care economy ... Read more

In transdisciplinary research, context dependencies, innovative formats and methods, societal effects, and scientific effects have all been discussed at length. However, the discourse still lacks an integrative perspective on these four key aspects. This blog post gives a glimpse into a new paper, in which the tdAcademy team provides an overview of each aspect and highlights relevant research questions that need answering in order to advance transdisciplinary research. It also presents tdCommunity as a means of connecting the transdisciplinary research community ... Read more

Soybeans are a crucial crop for the world economy. Argentina as the world’s third largest transgenic soy grower plays a key role in the global soy value chain with transgenic soy being a pillar of the country’s development model. Several conflicts are emerging around soy cultivation in Argentina and I focus on the conflict about royalties on transgenic soy seeds between farmers, the state and seed companies. Here, I will in particular show how some plant characteristics of soy have an effect on the emergence and the development of the conflicts ... Read more

Acksel, Britta/Dženeta Hodžic/Catharina Lüder (2022): Knox Hannah (2020) Thinking Like a Climate: Governing a City in Times of Environmental Change. Sciene & Technology Studies 35 (1), 80-82

Arbieu, Ugo/Guillaune Chapron/Christos Astaras/Nils Brunnefeld/Steven Harkins/Yorgos Iliopoulos/Marion Mehring/Ilka Reinhardt/Thomas Mueller (2021): News selection and framing: the media as a stakeholder in human-carnivore coexistence. Environmental Research Letters 16 (6), 064075

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)

Brinkmann, Katja/Stefan Liehr/Lena Bickel (2021): Rangeland Management in Namibia in the Face of Looming Desertification: Insights from the Freehold Farmers' Perspective. In: National Organizing Committee of 2021 IGC/IRC Congress (Hg.): International Grassland Congress Proceedings. The XXIV International Grassland Congress/XI International Rangeland Congress. Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Online Conference 25.10-29.10.2021

Curak, Hana/Dženeta Hodžic (2022): Daytonitis in Practice: (Post-)Socialist (Dis-)Continuities in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Energy and Environment Sector. Berliner Blätter (85), 87-98

Frick-Trzebitzky, Fanny (2022): Fanny Frick-Trzebitzky, "Groundwater in distal relations: visible and invisible in multiple ways". Yearbook 2022/2023 European Water Association. Hennef: European Water Association, 47-50

Fuchs, Leon/Christina Höfling/Lena Theiler (2022): ESD in the Museum: The Project BioKompass. A Practical View from the Senckenberg Natural History Museum Frankfurt. Transdisciplinary Impulses towards Socio-Ecological Transformation. Engaged Reflections - Reflected Engagements. Opladen/Berlin/Toronto: Verlag Barbara Budrich, 139-156

Hummel, Diana (2022): Population Dynamics and Sustainable Development in the Anthropocene. In: Kminek, Helge/Anna Geyer/Markus B. Siewert (Hg.): Transdisciplinary Impulses towards Socio-Ecological Transformation. Engaged Reflections - Reflected Engagements. Opladen/Berlin/Toronto: Verlag Barbara Budrich, 31-50

Jahn, Stephanie/Jens Newig/Daniel J. Lang/Judith Kahle/Matthias Bergmann (2021): Demarcating transdisciplinary research in sustainability science - Five clusters of research modes based on evidence from 59 research projects. Sustainable Development , 1-15

Kerber, Heide/Johanna Kramm (2022): From laissez-faire to action? Exploring perceptions of plastic pollution and impetus for action. Insights from Phu Quoc Island. Marine Policy 137, 104924

Kueffer, Christoph/Sascha Ismail/Cengiz Akandil (2022): A green deal cannot be left to economics and engineering. ISOE Blog Soziale Ökologie. Krise - Kritik - Gestaltung

Lam, David P.M./Maria E. Freund/Josefa Kny/Oskar Marg/Melanie Mbah/Lena Theiler/Matthias Bergmann/Bettina Brohmann/Daniel J. Lang/Martina Schäfer (2021): Transdisciplinary research: towards an integrative perspective. GAIA 30 (4), 243-249

Lam, David P.M./Maria E. Freund/Josefa Kny/Oskar Marg/Melanie Mbah/Lena Theiler (2022): Painting the full picture: An integrative perspective on context, formats and impact in transdisciplinary research. Science for Sustainability: A blog by social-ecological researchers at Leuphana University

Lam, David P.M./Maria E. Freund/Josefa Kny/Oskar Marg/Melanie Mbah/Lena Theiler/Matthias Bergmann/Bettina Brohmann/Daniel J. Lang/Martina Schäfer (2022): Integrating context, formats and effects in transdisciplinary research. Integration and Implementation Insights: A community blog providing research resources for understanding and acting on complex real-world problems

Männer, Florian A./Lisa-Maricia Schwarz/Diego A. Menestrey Schwieger/Vistorina Amputu/Mark C. Bilton/Katja Brinkmann/Gunnar Dressler/Ndamonenghenda Hamunyela/Hendrik Heita/Sara Heshmati/Stefan Liehr/Meed Mbidzo/Faith Munyebvu-Chambara/Wellencia Carla Nesongano/Markus Rauchecker/Alexandra Sandhage-Hofmann/Katja Tielbörger/Klaus Zimmer/Anja Linstädter (2021): An Integrated Framework to Study Ecological Tipping Points in Social-Ecological Systems. International Grassland Congress Proceedings. The XXIV International Grassland Congress/XI International Rangeland Congress. Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Online Conference 25.10-29.10.2021

Further publications can be found at www.isoe-publikationen.de.