Empower Sustainable Futures

The mission of the subgroup Empower Sustainable Futures is to empower society to transition towards sustainable futures in a changing global environment. We believe that empowering people to become more sustainable requires transdisciplinary and participatory methodologies, tools and approaches. They allow us to generate, communicate and implement new knowledge while fully taking into account the complexity of decision and policy challenges that societal actors face.

We actively engage society in scientific research, leveraging the power of citizen science and participatory approaches to address environmental and societal challenges. By collaborating with the public, we not only enrich its scientific knowledge base but also enable individuals to gain valuable knowledge and skills that can inform decision-making processes.

Recognizing the importance of inclusivity and diversity, we foster collaborative learning through co-creation, education, science communication and adaptive planning. By integrating non-expert knowledge and diverse stakeholder perspectives, we ensure equitable and just responses to climate change and other global changes. We contribute to a sustainable society, where science and society converge to drive meaningful progress.  

Participatory and transdisciplinary approaches are therefore the foundational core of the subgroup.

This main focus is operationalized through three distinct research lines

  • Scenarios and pathways
  • Participatory knowledge creation and dissemination
  • Education on sustainability