Missions for sustainability: New approaches for science and society

Contributors:

Moderator: Prof. Alfons Balmann, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO)

Prof. Barbara Sturm, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)

Prof. Annette Prochnow (ATB) Leibniz Innovation Farm for Sustainable Bioeconomy as inter- & transdisciplinary Research Infrastructure – Status report

Prof. Ingo Pies (Uni Halle-Wittenberg) Moral confusions of ends and means – An ordonomic perspective

Dr. Johanna Jauernig (IAMO) Good Intentions and Bad Outcomes – the Research Program of an Experimental Agricultural Ethics

Prof. Katharina Helming, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Horizon Europe Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe' - Sustainability trade-offs and integrated knowledge needs

Good intentions & innovative solutions to pressing challenges: how to safeguard the right objective?  From discussing with the audience and expert speakers, the session organizers aim to critically reflect on the mission-driven nature of coping with the need to address urgent challenges of the food system and the bioeconomy as well as of a research infrastructure (Leibniz Innovation Farm for Sustainable Bioeconomy, under implementation). The session brings together researchers from natural and engineering sciences who work towards solutions to address the challenges with social scientists and ethicists who address issues such as why good intentions may fail due to means-end confusions in societal discourses or due to naturalistic and moralistic fallacies.

Please find the key points of the discussion here (PDF Download).

Please find the abstract of the session here (PDF Download).

Contributors:

Prof. Achim Schlüter, Leibniz-Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)

Dr. Jan Stefan Fritz, German Marine Research Consortium

Claire Jolly, Head of Unit - STI Ocean Economy Group, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Björn Stockhausen, Fisheries and Ocean Advisor, The Greens/EFA Parliamentary Group, European Parliament

Prof. Kimberley Peters, Professor of Marine Governance, Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg

Prof. Raimund Bleischwitz, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Tropical Marine Research

Missions in the marine realm are likely as old humanity’s seafaring expeditions. These required visions of purpose and planning, but also an impressive understanding of the ocean and technological innovations. Humanity’s improvements in knowledge and technology have meant that resources could be mobilized not only to explore, but also to exploit and conquer discovered spaces; a process that has defined the Anthropocene in the ocean. Now, the concept of an “ocean mission” is being re-appropriated again, but now to mobilize resources for the complex mission to save the ocean from human exploitation and conquest.  Are missions working for a sustainable ocean or is this wishful thinking and we are still mainly aiming to conquer “a good deal” in the seas?

Please find the key points of the discussion here (PDF Download).

Please find the abstract of the session here (PDF Download).

Contributors:

Prof. Rainer Walz, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, ISI

Jürgen Kopfmüller, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology

Sarah Seus, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Dr. Susannne Bührer, Fraunhofer ISI

Prof. Thomas Potthast, Tübingen University

Dr. Ralf Lutz, Tübingen University

Dr. Markus Vogt, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich

Dr. Christoph Weber, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich 

Societal transformations require suitable knowledge based on research that is increasingly expected to consider societal responsibility and solution-oriented impact. It is currently debated how this responsibility can be implemented and how research quality and excellence, particularly in funding and evaluation processes, should be modified. Debates also circle around possible conflicts emerging with existing models, above all freedom of research. The session deals with approaches to enhance research excellence criteria, the relevance, definition and measurement of impact as quality criterion, with ethical foundations discussing the relation between responsibility and freedom, and discusses if the German FONA programme can serve as a role model for a reviewed concept of excellence.

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Please find the abstract of the session here (PDF Download).

Contributors:

Mirja Buckbesch, DVV International, Institut für Internationale Zusammenarbeit des Deutschen Volkshochschul-Verbandes e.V. (DVV)

Prof. Willi Xylander, Senckenberg Museum Görlitz (Leibniz Research Museum)

Dr. phil. habil. Marion Fleige, German Institute for Adult Education (DIE)

Franziska Loreit, German Institute for Adult Education (DIE)

Understanding the foundations of sustainability is a prerequisite for conscious sustainable action and participation. The session reflects on aspects of learning and education in the context of sustainability (potential approaches to transfer). It focuses on larger concepts as well as on concrete formats and target groups for sustainability-related lifelong learning. To this end, it draws on exemplary practice and research from educational and research institutions as well as from cultural institutions with associated educational mandates (here: museums) within the Leibniz association and its networks. Three inputs plus reflection on lifelong learning processes from the angle of educational science lead to a broad discussion with all session participants. Here, further references to the "missions for sustainability" may be established.

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Please find the abstract of the session here (PDF Download).

Contributors:

Moderator: Dr. Christoph Wulf, Leibniz Institute for Catalysis

Tim Langenhorst, Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility

With the terrible war in Ukraine, energy dependence of parts of Europe has become abundantly clear. On the path to technological sovereignty, sustainable economic activity according to the European Green Deal and climate neutrality, hydrogen technology is of great importance. To achieve the ambitious goals, however, major and coordinated efforts are required from politics, science, industry and society. To this end, the Leibniz Association, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Beller, Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, has pooled its expertise in the Hydrogen Economy Cluster. In the Hydrogen Economy session, you can expect exciting impulse contributions from Airbus on the Zero Emission Aircraft as well as from renowned Economists, among others, under the moderation of Dr Christoph Wulf, Head of the Leibniz Zero Carbon Technical Centre.

Please find the key points of the discussion here.

Canceled due to illness.

Contributors:

Moderator: Dr. Markus Egermann, Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER)

Marie Yeroyanni, Senior Expert Innovating Cities, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, C2 Future Urban and Mobility Systems

Monika Heyder, Senior Officer, Carbon Neutral Cities, ICLEI Europe

Dr. Michael Anz, Smart City Manager, MAtchUP Office, City of Dresden

Nora Zentner, Project Manager, Energy concept and climate protection, City of Dresden

Rubén García Pajares, Head of Smart City Area - Urban and Regional Planning. Energy Division, CARTIF Technology Centre, Valladolid, Spain

Achieving climate neutrality rapidly is one of the key missions of the 21st century to ensure a liveable planet. It requires fundamental changes within and across multiple action domains (energy, transport, food, etc.) and sectors (public, private, civil society). Cities play a key role in achieving climate neutrality due to both the accumulation and combination of mitigation challenges and the innovative potential and transformative power attributed to cities. In this session we will focus on the transformative capacities that cities need to transform multiple urban systems toward climate neutrality and will identify pathways to increase this capacities in different local, regional and national contexts.

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Contributors:

Moderator: Dr. Marius Deckers (Verbundprojekt “Forschen in gesellschaftlicher Verantwortung”)

Dr. Jakob Schweizer, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of complex technical systems Magdeburg, Max Planck Sustainability Network

Samuel Frey, Fraunhofer ISE, Fraunhofer Society

Kristine Oevel, Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, Working Group Sustainability of the PhD and Postdoc Network in the Leibniz Association

Dr. Noemi Bender, German Cancer Research Center, Network Helmholtz Climate-Neutral

Scientists contribute to a sustainable future through their scientific work, but they are also part of the transformation: our research buildings consume heat and electricity, in our labs we consume scarce materials and produce problematic waste, and we fly to remote conferences emitting tons of greenhouse gases. Therefore, scientists team up in order to make research itself more ecologically sustainable. In this session we will present employee-based sustainability initiatives in the four major non-university research organizations in Germany - Leibniz Association, Helmholtz Association, Fraunhofer Society and Max Planck Society - and discuss potential and challenges of sustainable research practice.

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Please find the abstract of the session here (PDF Download).

Contributors:

Prof. Rainer Danielzyk, Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association (ARL)

Prof. Katharina Helming, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)

Prof. Achim Schlüter, Leibniz-Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)

John Hanus (European Commission)

Dr. Gundula Prokop, Environmental Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt Austria)

The session focuses on the question, how criteria for socially responsible research can contribute to mission research. The organizers introduce a respective framework for reflection with eight criteria that has been developed in a joint research project called LeNa. Two of the five EU-missions for 2030 – ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ and ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’ – will we be presented by experts of these fields to lead over to a joint discussion.

Please find the abstract of the session here (PDF Download).

Contributors:

Prof. Dr. Matthias Hardt, Leibniz-Institut für Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Europa (GWZO) Leipzig

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Tina Asmussen, Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, Bochum / Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Prof. Dr. Pietro D. Omodeo, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia

Please find the key points of the discussion here (PDF Download).

Please find the abstract of the session here (PDF Download).

Contributors:

Moderator: Dr. Judith Terstriep, Institute for Work and Technology (IAT), Westfälische Hochschule

Oliver Peters, German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu)

Sustainability mission and economic development – Concepts for harmonization

Sandra Wagner-Endres, German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu)

Economic development agencies’ innovation capacity – Empirical evidence for Germany

Maria Rabadjieva, Institute for Work and Technology (IAT), Westfälische Hochschule

Mission-orientation as driver for participative Governance – towards sustainable local economic structures

Governance of missions at a local level, particularly in the economic development framework, calls upon local economic development agencies to re-think their work in terms of content and organization through new thematic and structural formats. Several concepts (e.g. the 2030 Agenda, the common good economy, the doughnut economics or the circular economy) aim at supporting municipalities in implementing sustainability missions but need to be adapted locally, sometimes with a significant investment of resources. The session will discuss the role of local economic development and the potential of participative governance approaches in implementing political missions based on local challenges.

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Please find the abstract of the session here (PDF Download).

Contributors:

Claire Murray, European Citizen Science Association

Dr. Dilek Fraisl, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria

Meschak Odede, Vio Society Kenya and Africa4SDGS

Dr. Peter Elias, University of Lagos

Reaching the SDGs without actively involving citizens and the community in the process is an impossible task. Citizen science therefore creates an opportunity to bridge the gap between the theory and the reality of sustainable change by directly engaging and empowering citizens. Short presentations will address the questions of what citizen science is and how it can contribute to the SDGS will be discussed, followed by practical examples of how scientists and communities are already using citizen science in their work towards the SDGs. The session will have plenty of opportunities for discussion and reflection, to enable participants to explore the potential for citizen science in their own work.  

Please find the key points of the discussion here.