MST_BigData_Wetering_12986_head_large.jpg

Broad Sustainability

Human-caused perturbations of Earth systems may mean crossing several planetary safety boundaries, and this may lead to problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, chemical pollution and freshwater use. Climate change makes these risks increasingly visible, through draughts, floodings, forest fires and sea level rise. In order to be sustainable, society may have to reorganize its fundamental interactions with these Earth systems. For this, it is proposed that we may need to engage in phasing-out fossil energy sources, build a circular economy and adapt to increased risks.

While this transition to a more sustainable socio-ecological system has an important environmental dimension, the societal challenge is much broader: it is about introducing a long-term perspective in the reorganization of societies, organizations and individual lives. This is closely related to the three other domains: managing technological risks (e.g., AI), creating social stability and building resilient capacity for vulnerable regions. These challenges need to be tackled not only on the political level, but in a wide range of fields, such as organizations, employment, behavior, culture, law, education and technology.

The main goal of this domain is to examine the conditions that will make society turn towards a long-term perspective. This cannot just be approached from one discipline or theme but requires going beyond current boundaries to find innovative approaches and solutions.

Research projects