How can we achieve an ecological and socially just transformation of our society?

The continuously worsening climate crisis with dramatic effects worldwide presents humanity with a challenge of the century: the socio-ecological transformation of society. Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H) has founded the International Centre for Sustainable and Just Transformation (tra:ce) to support this scientifically and drive it forward with concrete recommendations for action. The cross-faculty research centre is intended to act as a beacon far beyond Witten in science, society, business and politics.

"Science plays an important role in dealing with the climate crisis. The transition to a sustainable, just society requires scientific expertise and cooperation between various specialist disciplines in order to grasp the complexity and holistic nature of this Herculean task and to be able to tackle it democratically," says initiator and tra:ce Director Prof. Dr Joscha Wullweber, describing the challenge.

"Our research should contribute to enabling and strengthening responsible, sustainable and democratic decisions in times of multiple crises," adds Directorate member and Vice President Prof Dr Petra Thürmann. "To this end, we rely on a broad network of international researchers from various disciplines as well as a large alliance of practice partners from politics, business, society and the healthcare system."

The tra:ce's first research modules (see below) look at the challenges of the climate crisis from very different perspectives: How can cities be made environmentally neutral? How can food-producing companies promote biodiversity? How can the German government develop a sustainable financial strategy? And what role does sustainability play in medicine, art and personal development? These and other questions will be answered in future under the umbrella of tra:ce.

Membership is also open to external scientists

In addition to university members, external scientists as well as research institutions, organisations or companies researching the socio-ecological crisis can also join tra:ce on a project basis.

The Witten Research Centre is headed by a seven-member board of directors consisting of professors from various disciplines and one representative each from the academic staff, the research administration and the student body of the UW/H. The following persons were elected to the Board of Directors at the inaugural meeting:

• Prof. Dr Joscha Wullweber, Heisenberg Professor of Political Economy and Transformation
• Prof Dr Magdalene Silberberger, Junior Professor of Development Economics
• Prof Dr Petra Thürmann, Vice President for Research
• Prof. Dr Claus Volkenandt, Professor of Art History & Academic Director WittenLab. Future Laboratory Studium fundamentale
• Dr Andreas Lingg, Research Associate
• Klarita Nestler, Head of Research Funding and EU External Funding Consultancy
• Rebecca Otto, student of Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Bachelor)

A scientific advisory board consisting of scientists, politicians, economic actors and members of civil society advises the tra:ce. Its members act as sparring partners who critically support the centre's work based on their professional and practical experience, reflect on research and its social relevance, help develop policy recommendations and initiate new research ideas and projects.

Eleven research modules shed light on health, political and even artistic aspects of the socio-ecological crisis

Eleven research modules at the university were brought together under the tra:ce umbrella to address the socio-ecological crisis from different perspectives and specialisms:

• Environmentally neutral transformation of the Ruhr region: the Urbanzero transformation project aims to turn the harbour district of Duisburg-Ruhrort into the world's first environmentally neutral neighbourhood by the end of 2029. UW/H is providing scientific support for the project under the direction of Prof. Dr Wullweber in order to develop generalisable conditions for success for sustainable and just transformation.
• BioVal - Biodiversity Valuing & Valuation: The aim of BioVal is to research how the negative effects of food production and consumption on biodiversity can be reduced and how they can have a positive impact instead. Together with companies, we are investigating how they can contribute to the promotion of biodiversity along product life cycles and how this can be anchored in management and communicated. The project is headed by Dr Ulrike Eberle.
• Environmental compatibility of pharmaceuticals: This research module, headed by Prof. Dr Petra Thürmann, analyses the GK Medicine drug list with regard to its environmental compatibility and identification of possible alternatives.
• Promotion of greenhouse gas-reducing technologies in Africa: The aim of this module, led by Prof Dr Magdalene Silberberger, is to investigate the conditions and policies that can strengthen and promote the spread of greenhouse gas-reducing technologies in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Sustainability through art: The aim of the research module headed by Prof Dr Claus Volkenandt is to systematically explore sustainability topics and areas in the arts and at the same time stimulate sustainability projects in artistic research.
• Sustainable education in medical studies: The project headed by Prof Dr Jan Ehlers is investigating how sustainability and climate medicine can best be anchored in the German-language medical curriculum.
• Climate finance research module (Sustainable Finance): The project, led by Prof Dr Wullweber, aims to develop successful policy instruments and strategies as well as concrete recommendations to effectively steer the financial sector towards sustainable investments.
• Sustainable (personal) education in higher education: The research module headed by Dr Svenja Hartwig aims to provide scientific support for personal development offerings and identify causal relationships around the discovery and shaping of a sustainable self, also against the backdrop of the climate crisis.
• Non-communicable diseases in adolescents: Aconsortium with institutions from nine countries for the EU's Horizon Europe programme aims to investigate why the development and implementation of global and national strategies is lagging behind despite the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases. The focus is on physical activity as a risk reduction strategy.
• Economic-ecological topologies: In principle, insatiable human need, endless natural exploitation options, boundless innovative power - these guiding principles have organised the understanding of space and time in Western economic theory for centuries. Against the background of planetary boundaries, the working hypothesis of this research module is that economic thinking needs new economic-ecological topologies.

Further information can be found at www.uni-wh.de/trace.