Nepal Patan Alte Stadt im Kathmandu Nepal: Patan, according to traditions it shall be the oldest city in the Kathmandu valley. Shutterstock/ Skreidzeleu
Benefits of the Net-Zero Emissions Strategy for Nepal
Which options to consider for developing and emerging countries
Grassroots movement CCP Many socio-ecological projects emerge far from the centres of political power in community halls, town assemblies, youth centres, neighbourhoods and on community-supported farms. Shutterstock/ Cagkan Sayin
Commons-public partnerships Boost Bottom-up Transformations
Fellow Judith Pape provides an overview of CCP-projects
Containers in a port Containers in a port
Sustainable industries through digital supply chains?
Recommendations for policy makers and businesses
SDGs The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Shutterstock/ amanemark
SHAPE project concludes at RIFS
Blogpost by Merle Remy
Air quality modelling Air quality modelling IASS/Rolf Schulten
Research and Dialogue for Sustainable Societies
What RIFS stands for

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What we work on

Transformative Sustainability Research

RIFS conducts research with the goal of understanding, advancing, and guiding processes of societal change towards sustainable development. Our researchers collaborate with diverse actors from science, policymaking and public administration as well as business and civil society to develop a common understanding of sustainability challenges and generate potential solutions. The research approach is transformative, transdisciplinary, and co-creative.

About us

In brief

How conflictive is renewable energy technology trade?

How much trade conflict was there around renewable energy technologies (RET) in the past decade – and how did this compare to other trade conflicts? An analysis by RIFS researchers suggests that improved conflict-resolution institutions for RET are needed.

A new climate of communication at the COP

Outside of the formal negotiations of the UN climate change conferences (COPs), the communication culture is dominated by "side events," a format that relies on conventional presentations and panels. RIFS scientist Kathleen Mar and co-authors make a case for reimagining these communication formats in order to strengthen the COP's role as a platform for learning and community-building.

News

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Collection of ideas from the participants.
Democracy

Participation Processes: Talk to Each Other - But How?

Structuring discussions, explaining contexts, identifying perspectives: all of these are among the tasks of facilitators. In cooperation with the city of Magdeburg, RIFS researchers designed and accompanied three mini-publics that were facilitated in different ways. Their analysis of strengths and weaknesses contributes to a better design of future participation processes.

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Nepal Patan Alte Stadt im Kathmandu
Study

Benefits of the Net-Zero Emissions Strategy for Nepal

Achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement will require the combined efforts of states and companies around the world. How can developing countries achieve carbon neutrality and boost their resilience while pursuing economic growth and improved living standards? A study by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) draws on the example of Nepal to analyse the benefits of a net-zero emissions strategy.

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Dossiers

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Discussion at the Citizens’ Assembly for Democracy in Leipzig.

Deliberative Mini-Publics Dossier

Deliberative mini-publics are participatory processes in which a randomly selected and heterogenous group of citizens cooperate for a period to develop recommendations, ideas or solutions on a specific issue. RIFS accompanies these processes in various roles.

Justice in Sustainability is the RIFS focal topic for 2022/23.
Focal Topic 2022/2023

Justice in Sustainability Dossier

The issue of justice is increasingly playing a greater role in the transformation towards sustainability. Calls to improve justice outcomes touch on a variety of issues, in particular the distribution of the costs and benefits of transformations as well as the burdens of climate change and environmental degradation. Other claims target procedural aspects: Who should have access to decision-making about transformation towards sustainability? A third set of justice claims focuses on recognition: Which groups are or should be recognized as rights-holders or as affected or especially vulnerable populations?

Felder, Wälder, Windräder: eine Landschaft in Brandenburg.

Sustainability in Brandenburg Dossier

Brandenburg is facing major sustainability challenges, such as agrarian transformation, energy transformation, mobility transformation, transformation of Lusatia, adaptation to climate change, promotion of rural areas, revitalisation of the economy after the Corona pandemic, and water supply and water protection. As a Potsdam institute, RIFS is actively involved in sustainability work in Brandenburg.

Tsunami - iStockphoto - estt

Systemic Risks Dossier

Modern societies are vulnerable to “systemic risks” such as pandemics, financial crises, or climate change. Due to their complex and interconnected nature, systemic risks pose a particular challenge to conventional approaches to risk analysis and management. The research group on systemic risks at RIFS analyses risks and opportunities around transformation processes for sustainable development and, in a second step, develops policy recommendations for the governance of systemic risks.