Designing for sustainable futures under uncertain and constantly changing conditions requires the democratic, informed participation of all ages and sectors of society – from business executives to restaurant workers, from academic researchers to government ministers.
Uniquely among international urban sustainability research centres, Mistra Urban Futures was built around formal partnerships among different urban institutions in various sectors in each of the cities around the world where it worked.
The strength of the concept of sustainable development is at the same time its Achilles heel, namely its integrative view of social, economic and environmental issues and policies and, as a result, its complexity.
The strength of the concept of sustainable development is at the same time its Achilles heel, namely its integrative view of social, economic and environmental issues and policies and, as a result, its complexity.
En Dënsten, de 15. Oktober si mir mat zwee vun eise Projeten – ‚School Futures‘ an ‚Aktioun Nohaltegkeet‘ – op der Foire vun der Bildung fir Nohalteg Entwécklung ze fannen. D’Foire riicht sech zwar an éischter Linn un Enseignanten an Educateuren, an awer invitéiere mir gäern jidfereen, dee sech fir Nohaltegkeet intresséiert bis lanescht firwatzen ze kommen. Nierft eise Projete wärten eng ganz Rëtsch aner flott Stänn – natur&emwelt, sila.lu, polar.lu, etc. – hunn an hir Initiative a Projete virstellen.
Recently the throwaway culture has become subject to close scrutiny by governments and researchers. This lecture introduces basic concepts related to the circular economy. The short lifespan of many consumer goods resulting in extreme wastefulness, and the growing awareness that their embedded carbon also has implications for climate change, demands a slower throughput of materials in the economy.
In its special report on global warming of 1.5°C the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that “Human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial level”. Considering the significant uncertainties that are inherent to every scientific analysis of such a complex system as the global climate, this lecture highlights the way the IPCC works to come to such conclusions.