Sustainability Science

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction

Abstract

Three hundred years after defining sustainable development in forestry and 25 years after conceptualizing sustainability as a societal guiding vision and regulative idea, the necessity for further operationalizing and realizing sustainability is greater than ever. The textbook at hand provides a state-of-the-art overview of key areas of sustainable development. Like a mosaic, the chapters compose building blocks, which assemble an encompassing perspective on sustainability science. We hope to contribute with this textbook to the further establishment of sustainability science and to enable the next generation of sustainability experts to get a “grip” on the challenging and exciting “centenary topic” of sustainable development.

Harald Heinrichs, Arnim Wiek, Pim Martens, Gerd Michelsen

Chapter 2. Sustainable Development – Background and Context

Abstract

The debate about sustainability can be traced back into the eighteenth century. It was revived following the publication of the Brundtland Report “Our Common Future” (1987) and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro (1992). Since then, interest has been focused on developing new concepts between the seemingly opposing paradigms of strong and weak sustainable development as well as on their application in practice. Moreover, sustainable development entails normative implications that affect inter- and intragenerational justice.

Gerd Michelsen, Maik Adomßent, Pim Martens, Michael von Hauff

Chapter 3. Transformational Sustainability Research Methodology

Abstract

Sustainability science can roughly be differentiated into two distinct research streams – a “descriptive-analytical” and a “transformational” one. While the former is primarily concerned with describing and analyzing sustainability problems, the latter aims at developing evidence-supported solution options to solve these problems. This chapter presents relevant methodological guidelines and requirements as well as five exemplary research frameworks for transformational sustainability research. The frameworks are for (1) complex problem-handling, (2) transition management and governance, (3) backcasting, (4) integrated planning research, and (5) the transformational sustainability research (TRANSFORM framework). The TRANSFORM framework aims at synthesizing key components of the other frameworks. The frameworks provide guidelines for transformational sustainability research; yet, willingness and capacity of academic, governmental, private, and nonprofit organizations to use them for knowledge-generating operations are still fairly low. To truly support sustainability transformations, much more of this solution-oriented sustainability research is needed.

Arnim Wiek, Daniel J. Lang

Chapter 4. Green and Sustainable Chemistry

Abstract

The products of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries are indispensable for our high standard of living and health. Estimations say that about 100,000 chemicals are available on the market, mostly used in combination with other chemicals. Consumers may be unaware that the products of chemical industries provide the functionality they expect when buying or using a certain product. Often the contribution of chemistry is not clear to the consumer, as chemicals are used to improve or enable certain production processes, to improve the efficacy or the lifetime of a product or to generate a specific colour or taste (e.g. food additives, preservatives). In other words, the benefit of modern chemistry and pharmacy cannot be overestimated.

Contrary to current perception, which is dominated by the legacies of the past, chemistry can and will contribute in many ways to sustainability through its products and processes. However, it is important that chemistry itself becomes more sustainable. Sustainable chemistry encompasses green chemistry but is much more than that. An overview of green and sustainable chemistry and its important achievements are presented, and some possible future contributions are outlined.

Klaus Kümmerer, James Clark

Chapter 5. Sustainability and Ecosystems

Abstract

Maintenance of human well-being is highly dependent on nature. The natural environment provides a source of both directly used goods and services that support human livelihoods and an intrinsic value that contributes to human flourishing. Today, much of the planet is influenced or even transformed by human activity, and natural ecosystems are increasingly under threat. Ecology and conservation biology are crucial for understanding and quantifying changes in ecological systems. Moreover, ecology in conjunction with other branches of science provides key insights to enable management options for supporting a sustainable future for our planet. Here, we give an overview of the relationship between biodiversity, ecosystems, and sustainability. First, we introduce the notion of biodiversity, then we present the links between biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and services, in which ecosystem services are the benefits people derive from ecosystems. Finally, we outline the current threats to ecological integrity and provide a brief overview of the links between ecology and other disciplines within sustainability science.

Henrik von Wehrden, Goddert von Oheimb, David J. Abson, Werner Härdtle

Chapter 6. Sustainability Assessment of Technologies

Abstract

Sustainability has multiple dimensions. This chapter wants to stress that there is an inherent element of subjectivity in sustainable development that needs to be acknowledged even when sustainable development is at heart about improved states of the environment. Understanding of objectivity, subjectivity, and development can serve a more fruitful discussion about choices in sustainability. The aim of the chapter is to assess available methods for appraising the sustainability of innovation with regard to three key aspects for sustainability assessment: the ability to objectify impacts, the extent to which normative aspects are considered, and the coproduction of impacts between technology and environment.

Sjouke Beemsterboer, René Kemp

Chapter 7. Corporate Sustainability Management

Abstract

This chapter provides a practice-oriented introduction to corporate sustainability management for students. It first introduces a brief history of corporate sustainability in businesses with reference to selected critical incidents (e.g., accidents environmental pollution) and pioneering firms and (sustainable) entrepreneurs which have developed proactive sustainability strategies and practices already several decades ago. Then the sustainability triangle, a conceptual framework for corporate sustainability, is presented. It aims at economic, eco- and socio-effectiveness by integrating and linking the economic, environmental, and social dimensions through the concepts of eco-efficiency, socio-efficiency, and eco-justice. This heuristic helps to classify sustainability management practices, relate them to each other, check for their synergies, and discuss how to overcome potential trade-offs. For the implementation of sustainability management in practice, collaboration between various actors is necessary. The reminder of the chapter therefore introduces various forms of collaboration available to businesses in order to engage with value chain partners and broader societal partners. Ultimately, the collaboration forms are classified into interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. Each text part contains various questions addressing the readers for their own reflection of current practices concerning the introduced concepts. The chapter ends with a brief conclusion.

Stefan Schaltegger, Erik G. Hansen, Heiko Spitzeck

Chapter 8. Sustainable Development in Economics

Abstract

The new paradigm of sustainable development has not yet penetrated all of the business sciences. Although the concept has found its way into management studies in business administration programs, as well as into marketing and other subdisciplines, most economists have ignored the topic. Two contrasting positions are identifiable in the relatively few publications to date that deal with this subject: The position advocated in neoclassical economics stands in irreconcilable opposition to that of “ecological” economics. The proponents of both disciplines, however, initially start with the premise of intergenerational equity, which states that the lifestyles of current generations may not jeopardize the quality of life of future generations (WCED, Our common future, Oxford, 1987, p. 43).

Michael von Hauff

Chapter 9. Sustainable Development and Law

Abstract

Since the emergence of the concept of sustainable development, lawyers across the globe are trying to come to grips with its legal status and the potential legal consequences (See Bosselmann, Sustainability law. Ashgate Publishing, 2008; French, Sustainable development. In: Fitzmaurice M, Ong DM, Merkouris P(eds) The research handbook on international environmental law. Edward Elgar, 2010, and Barstow Magraw D. Hawke LD, Sustainable development. In: Bodansky D, Brunnéé J, Hey E (eds) Oxford handbook of international environmental law. Oxford University Press, 2007). Nowadays, the concept of sustainable development is represented in legally binding texts at international, European, and national levels. Taking EU law as an example, both the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) refer to sustainable development in several articles. This clearly means that sustainable development is part of EU law. The real question, however, is whether this reference to sustainable development in binding law has any significant consequence for legal practice. Can, for instance, the Court of Justice of the European Union annul a decision of the European Commission should this decision be qualified as conflicting with sustainable development? Such a far-reaching and dramatic annulment is most unlikely under EU law, while the potential legal consequences of sustainable development will probably be more subtle. This chapter provides insight into the appearance of sustainable development in international and EU law and gives observations on its possible legal effects and the importance of national decision-making in view of sustainable development.

Marjan Peeters, Thomas Schomerus

Chapter 10. Finance and Sustainability

Abstract

The connection between the financial industry and sustainable development is indirect. The industry channels financial capital into different industries and therefore has an indirect effect on sustainable development through these industries. Depending on which client is financed the impact can be positive or negative. Therefore, the financial industry has developed strategies, products, and services to manage sustainability issues. Most of the products and services focus on risk management connected with risks that are material for financial institutions instead of managing risks for sustainable development. However, sustainability issues are dealt with in internal operations, credit risk management, socially responsible investing, and impact finance. Though products and services connected with sustainability are still marginal, their ratio is increasing and social banks that focus exclusively on sustainable products and services are growing significantly. Key challenges in the field of sustainable finance are to scale up the respective products and services, to focus on the creation of positive impacts on sustainable development through finance, to involve executive management representatives in sustainability issues, and to increase research about the connection between finance and sustainable development.

Olaf Weber

Chapter 11. Sustainability: Politics and Governance

Abstract

The article gives an overview of global sustainability policy and politics. It is shown how international policy making on sustainable development has progressed from environmental policy toward recent approaches of Earth system governance. Key challenges of international sustainability politics are discussed, and institutional and instrumental options to improve sustainability policy are presented. The article ends with an outlook of the need for cosmopolitan policy making on sustainable development.

Harald Heinrichs, Frank Biermann

Chapter 12. Sustainability Communication

Abstract

Communication as pivotal part of the human condition plays an essential role in bringing sustainability-related issues onto society’s agenda. Sustainability communication does not represent a somewhat discrete and self-contained theoretical approach, but rather draws on a wide range of disciplines, their bodies of knowledge, and their methodological approaches to illuminate the drivers and barriers of a broader and deeper societal engagement with the idea of sustainability. This chapter introduces students to the study of communication processes in the context of sustainable development. It suggests analyzing sustainability communication using a typology of three different communication modes: communication of, about, and for sustainability. The typology is applied in an illustrative way from the perspectives of two particular subsystems familiar to students, the educational system as well as the media system. The chapter concludes with an overview of relevant literature in the field of sustainability communication. The recommended readings cover three different types of literature highly relevant to students’ future studies in this field: introductory readings, practice-oriented readings, and current research.

Daniel Fischer, Gesa Lüdecke, Jasmin Godemann, Gerd Michelsen, Jens Newig, Marco Rieckmann, Daniel Schulz

Chapter 13. Sustainability and Science Policy

Abstract

What is the role and importance of science policy for a transformation toward a more sustainable society? In what ways can science policy influence science and innovation systems? More specifically, how can science policy create the institutional conditions needed for developing a sustainability science? Where do we see the strongest impetus for a reorientation of science policy toward sustainable development? These are the guiding questions of the following chapter, which provides an insight into science policy – a policy field that is quite often underestimated yet decisive for sustainable development.

Drivers and incentives for a stronger society orientation in the science system are delineated for the case of the German science system, which serves as an example for many other European science systems.

Uwe Schneidewind, Mandy Singer-Brodowksi, Karoline Augenstein

Chapter 14. Justice and Sustainability

Abstract

This chapter explores the relationships between justice and sustainability theory and argues that despite being entwined, practical and theoretical challenges prevent an easy or complete integration of these two concepts. Specifically, we examine how the multiscalar, multigenerational, and multidimensional characteristics of sustainability interact with ideas of just processes or just outcomes. Using insights from justice theory, sustainability science, and the social psychology of justice, we suggest we ask questions like: what would a just multiscalar and multigenerational sustainability process look like? If social context changes how people use or understand ideas of justice, what should justice look like in complex sustainability challenges that extend across traditional boundaries? We suggest that although these issues present persistent theoretical challenges, past and ongoing efforts – such as environmental justice work or international climate negotiations – provide some lessons and guidance about strategies for assisting this integration in practice. Overall this chapter suggests that although fully integrating justice and sustainability may not be entirely possible, sustainability without a consideration of justice would be nonsensical from a normative perspective and difficult to achieve strategically. This leaves us with a strong rationale to insist on the centrality of justice in any sustainability effort, but with an awareness of the complexities of doing so.

Sonja Klinsky, Aaron Golub

Chapter 15. Sustainability Ethics

Abstract

The article examines the relationship between ethics and the concept of sustainability. Exemplified by case studies, different sustainability concepts will be applied to various philosophical as well as political discourses related to fundamental and applied ethics. In particular the question will be discussed if there are ethical duties towards future generations. Ecological issues as well as demographics will be ethically examined and related to the discourse of sustainability.

Nils Ole Oermann, Annika Weinert

Chapter 16. Ocean Space and Sustainability

Abstract

The notion of ocean space stands for a holistic, system science approach combined with 4D thinking from the ocean, and the processes within it, towards the land. It is in fact a social-ecological concept that deals with sustainability challenges which are the consequence of the complex interactions between human activities and the marine environment at all scales. Ocean space is a critical player in the Earth System, it’s central to climate regulation, the hydrological and carbon cycles and nutrient flows, it balances levels of atmospheric gases, it’s a source of raw materials, and a sink for anthropogenic pollutants. On a human scale, it is impressively large. On a planetary scale, however, it’s insignificant, although it’s an ancient feature of the Earth.Sustainability in ocean space is still an emerging issue. Since the early seventeenth century the Grotian notion of Mare Liberum, has dominated the unsustainable, use of ocean resources. Grotius, main challenge was to warrant freedom of navigation, trade, fisheries and whaling for the Dutch Republic. He was not at all interested in sustainability. In the 1960s Arvid Pardo introduced the principle of the ‘Common Heritage of Mankind’, which is incorporated in the present international Law of the Sea. It is an ethical and even today, controversial concept.In this paper the global sustainability framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and regional European developments with regard to its shared Exclusive Economic Zone, are discussed. It is concluded that for sustainability in ocean space, a more up-to-date and integrated or holistic, approach is urgently needed.

Jan H. Stel

Chapter 17. Sustainable Landscape Development

Abstract

Sustainable landscape development is situated at the centre of sustainable development, covers the urban and rural areas, spans multiple scales, raises problems of justice, is multi-sectorial and can thus only be understood and managed through holistic approaches. The scientific field of sustainable landscape development is located at the interfaces of several disciplines, namely, landscape ecology, urban and landscape planning and rural and regional sustainable development. A bridging concept between the more natural and the more social scientifically oriented landscape perspectives is that of landscape functions and services. Sustainability science can contribute to this research with its coupled system perspective on the socioecological dimensions of landscapes. Further, sustainability science understood as transdisciplinary collaborative process of science and society offers also guidance on how to tackle the normative character of sustainable landscape development.

Michael Stauffacher, Pius Krütli

Chapter 18. Sustainable Development and Material Flows

Abstract

A major target of strategies toward a more sustainable resource use must be to find ways of remaining within the planetary boundaries, not only by reducing overall resource use but also through keeping within the system what we are already using. This makes it necessary to take a systemic perspective and look at the whole life cycle of joint product systems, raw material inputs, and respective emissions. Knowing and understanding the dynamics of material stocks and flows may be a first step toward managing them. In the context of society, this approach is known as socioeconomic metabolism and is increasingly applied especially in regional and urban contexts. Here, we introduce material flow analysis as a possible method for constructing and evaluating material and energy flows to gain an insight into the flows of specific substances within the anthropogenic system. We show the main characteristics and applications as well as possible limitations of such a modeling approach and conclude with implications for a further development of such methods to enable a shift from analysis to assessment and strategy building that reflects sustainability principles and goes beyond efficiency.

Beatrice John, Andreas Möller, Annika Weiser

Chapter 19. Sustainable Energy Systems

Abstract

Sustainable energy systems are crucial to all three dimensions of sustainable development and thus central for mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable economic and social development. In order to play this role, current unsustainable energy systems need to undergo a major transition. This chapter first sketches core structural features of anthropogenic energy systems and discusses their relevance for addressing global challenges. Then, the main elements and strategies to make energy systems more sustainable as well as examples on political and societal challenges of this transformation are given.

Stefan Lechtenböhmer, Lars J. Nilsson

Chapter 20. Sustainability and Health

Abstract

Achieving good health should be an integral part of the current discussions about sustainable development. It is increasingly recognized that health research (and policy) requires a systems approach and the past decades have witnessed an emerging recognition of the multidimensional and multilevel causation of population health. An ever growing number of health researchers argue that the health of a population can – or must – be viewed within the broader system of health determinants. Consequently, in our effort to assess the health impacts of global (environmental) change, we have to be aware of the limitations of the traditional reductionist approach.

Stressing the need for a system-based approach toward health, this chapter discusses and illustrates a conceptual model describing the broader context and multi-causality of our health. We apply this framework to a widely discussed health impact of climate change, namely, the emergence of malaria in the African highlands. This clearly demonstrates that malaria in East Africa’s highlands presents an interesting case study for understanding the importance of the system’s interactions between climate and non-climate factors in shaping human vulnerability to the adverse health impacts of global warming. Climate change is believed to primarily affect the intrinsic malaria transmission potential, but this relationship interacts with other factors and developments that affect disease dynamics as well.

However, trying to conceptually describe the system involved is only one of the first steps in applying a system-based approach toward health. Hence, we briefly elaborate on some example tools from the sustainability science toolkit (modeling, scenario analyses, and participatory methods) that are available and conceivable in order to advance further systems research in the field of health and sustainable development. The chapter concludes with a discussion of possible barriers to adopting a sustainability science approach toward health, in an effort to explain the slow progress made so far.

Maud M. T. E. Huynen, Pim Martens

Chapter 21. Mobility and Sustainability

Abstract

Urban practices such as automobile dependence result from webs of institutions, from citizens and neighborhoods to city and state governments to federal policies. Effective action for achieving sustainability begins with understanding these institutions and how they respond to and resist change. In this chapter, we review those institutions involved with creating and preserving automobile use. This investigation illustrates that it is not enough to have a “right answer” be it a certain technology or a certain urban design proposal. The importance is in how these answers are implemented by citizens and governments – how visions are translated into interventions by real communities in various experiments and pilot projects which can help to illustrate pieces of those future states – today. In this chapter we review several cases of such proactive planning and policy which have been successful in enacting long-term visions for sustainable transportation. These include new urban planning paradigms based on transit-oriented design and accessibility, systems to facilitate sharing cars and to encourage cycling, and innovations in technology to improve the management of existing infrastructure.

Aaron Golub

Chapter 22. International Development and Sustainability

Abstract

This chapter explores some global development challenges – such as that of extreme poverty, growing inequalities, and poor governance, from the perspective of sustainability. We begin by questioning what we mean by “development” and tracing the evolution of this concept from the monolithic vision of development as a linear process that characterized postcolonial era thinking on development policy to that of “sustainable development” and the current thinking in terms of development as a highly contested term. We then examine some of the major challenges at the interface of international development and sustainability, such as the need to delink resource-intensive growth from progress on human development indicators. This discussion then leads us on to exploring some of the innovative solution options that have been proposed by central planners as well as grassroots level searchers and the usefulness of different approaches, such as randomized control trials, to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions. We conclude with a discussion of some open issues, such as the potential of human rights-based thinking about development and its implications for sustainability.

Rimjhim M. Aggarwal

Chapter 23. Tourism and Sustainability

Abstract

This chapter outlines specific sustainability challenges in tourism destinations and the sector’s opportunities to contribute to global sustainability. The highly inequitable distribution of benefits among local actors, the energy-intensive character of most tourism activities, and the lack of systematic data on environmental and social impacts are identified as key challenges. Responses based on promoting “best practices” are useful and widely implemented by tourism corporations. Building on experiences from pioneering destinations, a case is made for sustainability solutions that go beyond the best practices approach and redefine tourism as a social activity that can actively promote broader sustainability transitions. This involves engaging local actors in the definition of “desirable or acceptable” tourism development objectives, as well as the identification of strategies that turn tourism into a social process that supports the emergence of new governance structures while questioning entrenched relations of power.

David Manuel-Navarrete

Chapter 24. Consumption and Sustainability

Abstract

Moving consumption toward sustainable patterns has been a key goal of sustainability science since the 1990s. However, a large knowledge gap remains between identified consumption problems that restrict social and ecological development and progress toward solutions. Unfortunately, “sustainable consumption” is generally discussed in a rational context and does not address how culture, pleasure, identity, and communication drive consumption. This exclusively rational framing limits innovation in problem-solving research methodologies based on the other drivers of consumption. Marketing, however, excels at capitalizing on all the drivers of consumption. Consumers are the targets of countless behavior change strategies, and this article offers perspective on how the nonrational drivers of consumption can be leveraged to instead pursue sustainable consumption. Bridging the behavior change knowledge gap can be relevant for many sustainability impasses, as many of them stem from human behavior, and boundary work drawing on behavioral science can effectively navigate norms and expectations at the interface of science and society. The better researchers understand the behaviors of relevant actors, the better their behavior change strategies will support sustainability transitions.

John Harlow, Michael J. Bernstein, Bastien Girod, Arnim Wiek

Chapter 25. Climate Change: Responding to a Major Challenge for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Climate change is emerging as one of the major challenges facing scientific and policy communities. The inherent complexity will ultimately require a much more integrated response scientifically to better understand multiple causes and impacts as well as at the scientific–policy interface where new forms of engagement between scientists, policymakers and wider stakeholder communities can make a valuable contribution to more informed climate policy and practice. The content of this chapter is considered particularly timely as scientific research and policy debate are shifting from one of problem-framing to new agendas that are much more concerned with implementation, the improvement of assessment methodologies from a multidisciplinary perspective and the reframing of current scientific understanding as regards mitigation, adaptation and vulnerability. A critical element of responding to the climate change challenge will be to ensure the translation of these new scientific insights into innovative policy and practice ‘on the ground’.

Pim Martens, Darryn McEvoy, Chiung Ting Chang

Chapter 26. Art and Sustainability

Abstract

Over the past four decades, approaches to persistent and complex sustainability challenges have relied on solutions developed through scientific problem analysis and subsequent decision-making. Recently, this assumption has been exposed to various criticisms pointing out flaws and a lack of success. Art occupies a different intellectual, creative, and social space that can allow for surprising and promising perspectives and outcomes, offering innovative approaches to address sustainability problems. Since the 1990s, there has been a surge in interest among artists, curators, and theorists in collaborative art practice. Engaging directly with specific audiences and with pressing issues, the artists produce works that range in their intent from encouraging reflection, conversation, and learning to developing concrete solutions. This chapter focuses on the confluence of our heightened sustainability challenges with an increasing willingness among artists to address them and socially engaged practice as a particularly conducive art form. We focus on visual art and artists, although the most successful projects span disciplines and engage constituencies to challenge existing assumptions and propose new models.

Heather Sealy Lineberry, Arnim Wiek

Chapter 27. Teaching and Learning in Sustainability Science

Abstract

The concept of sustainability does not present the pathway or distinctive solution which needs to be followed and is defined differently by different actors around the globe. Thus, the transition towards sustainability relies on constant negotiation and societal learning processes. To achieve this, education and learning must be seen as key processes. It is the area of education for sustainable development that is concerned with aspects of learning that enhance the transition towards sustainability – an area that can best be described as a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the Earth’s natural resources. This chapter elaborates upon how education for sustainable development translates research outcomes of sustainability science into educational practices and guides the selection of learning objectives, relevant content and appropriate forms of teaching and learning.

Matthias Barth

Chapter 28. Education for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Education is to play an essential role for sustainable development (SD). The chapter dedicated to “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD) explains why and how this can be done.

First of all, a distinction is made between several levels of organizational change within a university, varying between minor changes and all-out transformation processes, leading to a state of “System Integration of Sustainable Development” (SISD). In such a process, not only the main aspects and activities of a university are transformed but even the very identity of the institution. In order to achieve this, a university has to act as a “learning organization,” as is described using the concrete example of a Dutch university for applied sciences.

The key role of a university toward sustainable development is its education, as is argued. In order to describe which elements the transformation of the education consists of, the so-called Tree Model is used.

The “roots” of this tree represent the educational goals, i.e., a description of the type of professional the university wishes to deliver to the society and the professional fields. For this purpose, a tool is available called “RESFIA+D,” which offers a method to develop or improve the professional competences of study programs, making use of a description of a number of levels of competence.

Another set of tools is described to develop the “trunk of the tree,” i.e., a general introduction to sustainable development for all academic disciplines, consisting of a textbook and a website offering accessories, e.g., exercises, serious games, video clips, etc.

Other elements of a tree are used to describe more aspects of ESD, such as the branches, which represent the disciplinary integration of SD within modules and topics throughout the curriculum.

Finally, the chapter describes a way to raise the expertise of the teaching staff, which is quintessential to achieve the desired ESD transformation. Together with an integration of this development with the quality management, making use of ESD assessment tools such as STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) or AISHE (Assessment Instrument for Sustainability in Higher Education), the goal of SISD can be reached.

Niko Roorda, Han van Son

Chapter 29. Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Universities hold a crucial responsibility and role to contribute to sustainable development, also in their education task. The concept of competencies for sustainable development and the idea of using real-world sustainability issues in education are promising approaches to transform sustainability programmes at universities into student-centred learning environments. Especially the educational formats of problem-based learning and project-based learning foster such a process of educational innovation towards student-centred learning. Moreover, hybrid forms of problem-based and project-based learning offer added value, but challenges for PPBL courses in sustainability remain salient.

Ron Cörvers, Arnim Wiek, Joop de Kraker, Daniel J. Lang, Pim Martens

Chapter 30. Science for Sustainability – A Societal and Political Perspective

Abstract

A changing world calls for advanced sustainability thinking. Recently, the notion of sustainability gains ever more momentum in the German entrepreneurial and political context. Science and the humanities can and should increase delivery against the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-2015 development agenda. But still, society needs broader and multiplied hubs for advanced sustainability thinking. Therefore, transformational research schemes must be part of the top agenda. Transformation must be made part of any institution’s performance. Thus, twofold approach suggests fostering both “science for sustainability” and “sustainability in science.” The German Sustainability Code and compatible schemes might be used as reference. More evidence based input into the ways and means societies use for choice editing, e.g., in consumption and production, but also in education and visionary thinking may prove as a major leverage to overcome mental path dependencies.

Günther Bachmann