Digitalization Stefanie Kunkel Sustainability Industry One conclusion of the RIFS study is that the often postulated mantra of "increasing energy efficiency through digitalization" is mostly ineffective for sustainability goals and the decarbonization of industry. RIFS/ Kathleen Friedrich
No Significant Link Between Industry 4.0 and Energy Consumption
Digitalisation May Not Automatically Lead To Anticipated Energy Savings in China
Deep emissions reductions can only be achieved by moving away from fossil fuels. Deep emissions reductions can only be achieved by moving away from fossil fuels. iStock / ANGHI
The Silver Bullet Fallacy of “Net Zero”
RIFS Policy Brief
CityScienceLab in Hamburg Virtual Reality Tools such as these virtual reality glasses allow the visualization and simulation of complex urban developments and support urban stakeholders in decision-making processes. Elisa Berdica
Bridging the Gap?
A blog post by Teresa Erbach about the CityScienceLab Hamburg
Grünspitz in East Munich The Grünspitz greenspace in East Munich. KulturVERSTRICKUNGEN e.V.
Rethinking Public Administration for the Socio-Ecological Transformation
A blog post by Thomas Spinrath
RIFS staff RIFS staff RIFS/Arne Weychardt
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

Co-creative Reflection and Dialogue Space at the Climate Conference

At the climate conference in Dubai, RIFS is offering a "Dialogue and Reflection Space" to facilitate an alternative form of encounter and discussion. There will be daily events with guided reflection and discussion in various interactive formats.

News

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Net4Cities Air quality monitoring sites
Horizon Europe Grant

A Network for Healthier Cities

The transport sector is a major contributor to environmental degradation, including air and noise pollution, damage to ecosystems and human health. To monitor air and noise pollution and generate data that will aid in assessing their health impacts related to it, the new research project Net4Cities will develop research infrastructure in eleven European cities in ten countries. This research and infrastructure will support efforts to implement the Zero Pollution Action Plan as part of the European Green Deal. The project is coordinated by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam.

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The development of solar photovoltaic technology is one example of a positive tipping point dynamic. The introduction of the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG) established a market for renewable power in Germany. This led to an expansion of renewable energy generation, triggering strong learning effects and falling costs that made renewable energies attractive in other countries. Renewables then entered a virtuous cycle of self-reinforcing market growth and global cost improvements.
Climate Policy

Pivotal Moment for Humanity as Tipping Point Threats and Opportunities Accelerate

The world has reached a pivotal moment as threats from Earth system tipping points – and progress towards positive tipping points, accelerate – a new report shows. The Global Tipping Points Report, the most comprehensive assessment of tipping points ever conducted, says humanity is currently on a disastrous trajectory. The speed of fossil fuel phase out and growth of zero-carbon solutions will now determine the future of billions of people.

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München Tram Fussgängerzone Theaterinerstraße
Franco-German Forum for the Future

Accelerating Transformations With Agile Public Administration

From adapting public spaces to climate change to rethinking mobility and decarbonising the heat supply – cities are grappling with major transformation processes as they move towards a more resilient and climate-friendly future. The Franco-German Forum for the Future and the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam have investigated how local authorities are adapting their planning processes to deal with these dynamic challenges. A new study explores an innovative solution developed by the City of Munich.

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Deep emissions reductions can only be achieved by moving away from fossil fuels.
RIFS Policy Brief

The Silver Bullet Fallacy of “Net Zero”

A new RIFS Policy Brief warns that the promise of future technologies for the abatement and removal of carbon dioxide is being used to justify inaction on reducing fossil fuels, even though this is incompatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C or 2°C. Ahead of COP28 in Dubai, the authors urge policymakers to face up to the inescapable reality that achieving the goal of “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) will require deep and rapid reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, and that this in turn means nearly completely phasing out fossil fuels.

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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.