Panel Discussion 1: Getting unstuck: from polycrisis to a better future

With the three panel discussions the Social-Ecological Systems Institute at Leuphana University's School of Sustainability wants to reflect on some of the most pressing, cutting-edge questions for sustainability science and practice.
The first panel discussion was on June 6th, 2024. Joern Fischer and the panelists discussed various questions such as: How can we get unstuck? How can we move from a global polycrisis to a better future?
“When I look back on my last 20 years in sustainability science, I notice that despite all kinds of scientific and political activity, it doesn't really look like things have got a lot better, and in some instances, things have got worse”, said Joern Fischer. “It is widely agreed upon that we are living beyond the limits of our Earth system; and to just name a few examples of the crises we are facing today - we have parallel and mutually interacting problems with climate change and biodiversity loss, about a billion people are not getting enough food, armed conflicts are threatening the safety of communities on several continents, nationalist agendas are on the rise in many countries, and especially young people often feel worried their future. Most of these problems are not new, but the interactions among them are intense, and perhaps these interactions have intensified - and against that background, it is really important to start to think outside the box: What can we do, as sustainability scientists, or as citizens, to move from a global polycrisis to a better future?“
 
The panelists:
Dr. Halliki Kreinin.
Halliki Kreinin is a Senior Research Associate in the Transforming consumption and provisioning research group at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS), Helmholtz Centre Potsdam. She is a project coordinator and researcher in the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project, which focuses on mainstreaming lifestyles in line with the Paris Agreement in Europe.
 
Prof. Dave Abson.
Dave Abson is a sustainability scientist at Leuphana University with an interest in systems thinking. Dave has, among other things, worked on leverage points for a sustainability transformation.
 
Prof. Jessica Boehme.
Jessica Böhme is a professor for technology management at the FHM Berlin and the founder of the Institute for Practical ekoPhilosophy (IPeP). In her research, she examines the role of practical philosophy and philosophical health for social-ecological just transformations.
 
Dr. Dianty Ningrum.
Dianty Ningrum is an interdisciplinary social scientist, currently working on a project called 'the empirics of hope' at the newly inaugurated Anthropocene Laboratory hosted by the Royal Swedish Academy of Science. She is from Indonesia.