Sustainability Science

Harald Heinrichs · Pim Martens

Gerd Michelsen · Arnim Wiek Editors

Sustainability

Science

An Introduction

Sustainability Science

Harald Heinrichs • Pim Martens

Gerd Michelsen • Arnim Wiek

Editors

Sustainability Science

An Introduction

ISBN 978-94-017-7241-9 ISBN 978-94-017-7242-6 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-7242-6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015957804

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Editors

Harald Heinrichs

Institute of Sustainability Governance

(INSUGO)

Leuphana University

Lüneburg, Germany

Gerd Michelsen

Faculty of Sustainability

Leuphana University

Lüneburg, Germany

Pim Martens

Maastricht University

Maastricht, The Netherlands

Arnim Wiek

School of Sustainability

Arizona State University

Tempe, AZ, USA

v

Contents

1 Introduction............................................................................................. 1

Harald Heinrichs, Arnim Wiek, Pim Martens,

and Gerd Michelsen

2 Sustainable Development – Background and Context ........................ 5

Gerd Michelsen, Maik Adomßent, Pim Martens,

and Michael von Hauff

3 Transformational Sustainability Research Methodology.................... 31

Arnim Wiek and Daniel J. Lang

4 Green and Sustainable Chemistry......................................................... 43

Klaus Kümmerer and James Clark

5 Sustainability and Ecosystems............................................................... 61

Henrik von Wehrden, Goddert von Oheimb, David J. Abson,

and Werner Härdtle

6 Sustainability Assessment of Technologies ........................................... 71

Sjouke Beemsterboer and René Kemp

7 Corporate Sustainability Management................................................. 85

Stefan Schaltegger, Erik G. Hansen, and Heiko Spitzeck

8 Sustainable Development in Economics................................................ 99

Michael von Hauff

9 Sustainable Development and Law ....................................................... 109

Marjan Peeters and Thomas Schomerus

10 Finance and Sustainability..................................................................... 119

Olaf Weber

11 Sustainability: Politics and Governance ............................................... 129

Harald Heinrichs and Frank Biermann

vi

12 Sustainability Communication .............................................................. 139

Daniel Fischer, Gesa Lüdecke, Jasmin Godemann, Gerd Michelsen,

Jens Newig, Marco Rieckmann, and Daniel Schulz

13 Sustainability and Science Policy .......................................................... 149

Uwe Schneidewind, Mandy Singer-Brodowksi,

and Karoline Augenstein

14 Justice and Sustainability....................................................................... 161

Sonja Klinsky and Aaron Golub

15 Sustainability Ethics............................................................................... 175

Nils Ole Oermann and Annika Weinert

16 Ocean Space and Sustainability............................................................. 193

Jan H. Stel

17 Sustainable Landscape Development.................................................... 207

Michael Stauffacher and Pius Krütli

18 Sustainable Development and Material Flows..................................... 219

Beatrice John, Andreas Möller, and Annika Weiser

19 Sustainable Energy Systems .................................................................. 231

Stefan Lechtenböhmer and Lars J. Nilsson

20 Sustainability and Health....................................................................... 247

Maud M.T.E. Huynen and Pim Martens

21 Mobility and Sustainability.................................................................... 261

Aaron Golub

22 International Development and Sustainability .................................... 273

Rimjhim M. Aggarwal

23 Tourism and Sustainability .................................................................... 283

David Manuel-Navarrete

24 Consumption and Sustainability ........................................................... 293

John Harlow, Michael J. Bernstein, Bastien Girod, and Arnim Wiek

25 Climate Change: Responding to a Major

Challenge for Sustainable Development ............................................... 303

Pim Martens, Darryn McEvoy, and Chiung Ting Chang

26 Art and Sustainability ............................................................................ 311

Heather Sealy Lineberry and Arnim Wiek

Contents

vii

27 Teaching and Learning in Sustainability Science ................................ 325

Matthias Barth

28 Education for Sustainable Development............................................... 335

Niko Roorda and Han van Son

29 Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning

for Sustainable Development ................................................................. 349

Ron Cörvers, Arnim Wiek, Joop de Kraker, Daniel J. Lang,

and Pim Martens

30 Science for Sustainability – A Societal

and Political Perspective......................................................................... 359

Günther Bachmann

Contents

ix

Contributors

David J. Abson Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Lüneburg,

Lüneburg, Germany

FuturES, Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany

Maik Adomßent Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Lüneburg,

Germany

Rimjhim M. Aggarwal School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe,

AZ, USA

Karoline Augenstein Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy,

Wuppertal, Germany

Günther Bachmann German Council for Sustainable Development, Berlin,

Germany

MatthiasBarth Institute for Integrative Studies, Leuphana University of Lüneburg,

Lüneburg, Germany

Sjouke Beemsterboer International Centre for Integrated assessment and

Sustainable development (ICIS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands

Michael J. Bernstein School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe,

AZ, USA

Frank Biermann Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam,

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Chiung Ting Chang Institute of Public Affairs Management, National Sun Yat-sen

University, Taiwan

James Clark York Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York,

York, UK

x

Ron Cörvers International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable

development, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Joop de Kraker International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable

development, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Management, Science and Technology, Open Universiteit, Heerlen, The Netherlands

Daniel Fischer UNESCO Chair Higher Education for Sustainable Development,

Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Bastien Girod Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, Swiss

Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland

Jasmin Godemann Agricultural, Nutritional and Environmental Science, Justus￾Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany

Aaron Golub Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, Portland State

University, Portland, OR, USA

Erik G. Hansen Centre for Sustainability Management, Leuphana University of

Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Werner Härdtle Institute of Ecology, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana

University, Lüneburg, Germany

John Harlow School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

Harald Heinrichs Institute of Sustainability Governance (INSUGO), Leuphana

University, Lüneburg, Germany

Maud M.T.E. Huynen International Centre for Integrated assessment &

Sustainable development (ICIS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Beatrice John Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research,

Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

René Kemp International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable

development (ICIS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands

Sonja Klinsky School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

Pius Krütli ETH Zurich, USYS Transdisciplinarity Laboratory (TdLab),

Sonneggstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland

Klaus Kümmerer Sustainable Chemistry and Resources, Institute of Sustainable

and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of

Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Daniel J. Lang Faculty of Sustainability, Institute for Ethics and Transdisciplinary

Research, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Contributors

xi

Stefan Lechtenböhmer Wuppertal Institut für Klima Umwelt Energie, Wuppertal,

Germany

Heather Sealy Lineberry Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, AZ,

USA

Gesa Lüdecke Institute for Sustainability Communication, Leuphana University

Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

David Manuel-Navarrete School of Sustainability, Arizona State University,

Tempe, AZ, USA

Pim Martens Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany

Darryn McEvoy Climate Change Adaptation Program, Global Cities Research

Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Gerd Michelsen Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Lüneburg,

Germany

Andreas Möller Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication,

Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Jens Newig Institute for Sustainability Communication, Leuphana University

Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Lars J. Nilsson Adjunct Professor, Department for Technology and Society/

Environment and Energy Systems, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Nils Ole Oermann Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lüneburg,

Lüneburg, Germany

Marjan Peeters Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Marco Rieckmann Department I / Education and Pedagogical Sciences, University

of Vechta, Vechta, Germany

Niko Roorda Roorda Sustainability, Tilburg, Netherlands

Stefan Schaltegger Centre for Sustainability Management, Leuphana University

of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Uwe Schneidewind Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy,

Wuppertal, Germany

Thomas Schomerus Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Daniel Schulz Institute for Sustainability Communication, Leuphana University

Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Mandy Singer-Brodowksi Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and

Energy, Wuppertal, Germany

Contributors

xii

Heiko Spitzeck Sustainability Research Center, Fundação Dom Cabral, São Paulo,

Brazil

Michael Stauffacher ETH Zurich, USYS Transdisciplinarity Laboratory (TdLab),

Sonneggstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland

Jan H. Stel International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable

Development (ICIS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Han van Son School of International Studies, Avans University, Breda, Netherlands

Michael von Hauff TU Kaiserslautern, FB Wirtschaftswissenschaften,

Kaiserslautern, Germany

Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany

Goddert von Oheimb Institute of General Ecology and Environmental Protection,

Technische Universität Dresden, Tharandt, Germany

Henrik von Wehrden Centre for Methods, Leuphana University, Lüneburg,

Germany

Institute of Ecology, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Lüneburg,

Germany

FuturES, Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany

Olaf Weber School for Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED),

University of Waterloo, Waterlooo, Canada

Annika Weinert Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lüneburg,

Lüneburg, Germany

Annika Weiser Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research,

Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

Arnim Wiek School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

Contributors

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016 1

H. Heinrichs et al. (eds.), Sustainability Science, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-7242-6_1

Chapter 1

Introduction

Harald Heinrichs , Arnim Wiek , Pim Martens , and Gerd Michelsen

Abstract Three hundred years after defi ning sustainable development in forestry

and 25 years after conceptualizing sustainability as a societal guiding vision and

regulative idea, the necessity for further operationalizing and realizing sustainabil￾ity is greater than ever. The textbook at hand provides a state-of-the-art overview of

key areas of sustainable development. Like a mosaic, the chapters compose building

blocks, which assemble an encompassing perspective on sustainability science. We

hope to contribute with this textbook to the further establishment of sustainability

science and to enable the next generation of sustainability experts to get a “grip” on

the challenging and exciting “centenary topic” of sustainable development.

Keywords Sustainable development • Sustainability science • Transformation •

Inter- and transdisciplinarity

The necessity for sustainable development was fi rst documented in 1713, in the

book Sylvicultura Oeconomica by German chief miner Hans Carl von Carlowitz

( 2013 ). He asserted that “sustainable forestry” is key for long-term success in

mining and related livelihoods. He argued that the demand for trees for heating,

building, brewing, mining, and smelting activities could only be met if a balance

between harvesting and growing/restoring trees would be reached. Nowadays, 300

H. Heinrichs (*)

Institute of Sustainability Governance (INSUGO) , Leuphana University , Lüneburg , Germany

e-mail: [email protected]

A. Wiek

School of Sustainability , Arizona State University ,

PO Box 875502 , Tempe , AZ 85287-5502 , USA

e-mail: [email protected]

P. Martens

Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands

e-mail: [email protected]

G. Michelsen

Faculty of Sustainability , Leuphana University , Scharnhorststraße 1 ,

21335 Lüneburg , Germany

e-mail: [email protected]

2

years later, concepts of sustainable development and sustainability have reached far

beyond the realm of forestry or natural resource management and have entered

discourses and practices in urban development, chemical industry, tourism, policy

making, and education, to name a few. Sustainability has become an important

reference point for safeguarding the future across societies worldwide. The broad

dissemination of sustainability as a societal guiding principle can be ascribed to the

Brundtland Commission Report (WCED 1987 ) and the succeeding United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (United

Nations 1993 ).

In 2012, 25 years after the Brundtland report and 20 years after the Rio confer￾ence, representatives from governments, business leaders, NGO activists, and

engaged researchers met again in Rio de Janeiro to take stock and discuss the future

of sustainable development. The outcome of this latest sustainability summit was

mixed – at best. Despite some progress on sustainability issues in government, busi￾ness, and civil society, the world continues on unsustainable pathways (e.g., United

Nations 2011 ; UNEP 2012 ; WWF 2012 ). The global community is still far away

from realizing inter- and intra-generationally just development that balances eco￾logical, social, and economic needs. For example, CO 2 , the key driver of anthropo￾genic climate change, continues to increase despite international climate policy

instituted in 1990; biodiversity loss is accelerating; global poverty reduction is lag￾ging behind its goals; and social inequality has intensifi ed over the past 30 years

through economic globalization – in some cases passing critical tipping points

(Rockström et al. 2009 ). Thus, it was of utmost importance that the Rio+20 confer￾ence agreed on next steps – such as developing global sustainability goals by 2015

or establishing a global sustainability council – to accelerate progress toward sus￾tainable development.

Despite the ongoing debate about the form and shape of the “Great Transformation”

toward sustainability (Raskin et al. 2002 ; WBGU 2011 ), it is obvious that sharply

altered and improved decision-making and action are necessary to secure a better

future for humankind and the planet. Next to decision-makers in politics, business,

media, and civil society, as well as citizens and consumers, academia has to play an

important role in this endeavor. Through research and teaching, higher education

institutions are prime places for exploring and shaping the future. However, the

traditional academic disciplines, which operate as if “society has its problems – uni￾versities have their disciplines,” are not adequately equipped for the enormous chal￾lenges ahead (Van der Leeuw et al. 2012 ). The disciplines that aim at contributing

effectively to sustainable development need to switch their modi operandi toward

transformational and solution-oriented research and education (Wiek et al. 2012 ;

Miller et al. 2014 ; Wiek and Kay 2015 ). Beyond interdisciplinary collaboration

(working across disciplinary boundaries), transdisciplinary research projects are

needed in which researchers and practitioners collaborate in problem-solving efforts

(Lang et al. 2012 ). Over the past two decades, many inspiring approaches and proj￾ects have advanced sustainability science (Kates et al. 2001 ; Clark and Dickson

2003 ; Komiyama and Takeuchi 2006 ; Jernecke et al. 2011 ; Wiek et al. 2012 , 2015 ;

Clark et al. in press ). There are now numerous academic journals, conferences,

H. Heinrichs et al.