International Symposium: Global Change, Sustainability, and Human Well-Being

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reports leave no doubt: human well-being is seriously endangered, if profound changes do not happen quickly. The path towards the Sustainable Development Goals is far from being clear. At the symposium, speakers, and participants will explore the current state of research and the paths to a sustainable society in an interdisciplinary framework, taking environmental justice as well as the role of media in times of crisis into particular consideration. An interactive format will allow for in-depth discussions of research gaps and help identify paths for research to contribute more effectively to the well-being of planet and people.

Keywan Riahi will deliver a presentation on “Rapid Systems Transformations for Addressing Global Sustainability Challenges”, focusing on how novel service provisioning systems and granular technologies may accelerate diffusion, increase innovation and learning potential, democratize access to services, and bring societal co-benefits. Emphasis will be also on trade-offs and the importance of justice and equity. A bottom-up perspective on well-being is presented, which permits to better understand energy, material, and other resource requirements for a decent living for all. Finally, the role of digitalization and disruptive end-use innovations are discussed, and critical research gaps and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations are identified.

Please click here to view the complete program. 

Following the scientific discussions, the Austrian Academy of Sciences invites you to a public panel discussion (in German) on "Scientific skepticism as a hurdle for sustainable development?" which will be introduced by Matthias Karmasin, Andrea Fronaschütz, and Helga Weisz.