Who we are
Alex Franklin, Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, UK
ac0569@coventry.ac.uk
Sebastian Thomas, Sustainable Engineering Group, Curtin University, Australia
sebastian.thomas@curtin.edu.au
Next Conference Track
Keep up to date with developments of ISDRS 2025 Track 1a here
Goals and Objectives
Sustainability sciences focus on developing responses to the grand societal challenges, recognizing complex interconnections between humans and nature on a finite planet. They link research and practice, local and global scales, past, present and futures, as well as disciplines across the social sciences, natural sciences, life sciences and applied sciences (Clark and Harley, 2020; Fang et al., 2018). Sustainability sciences are fundamentally inter- and transdisciplinary, engaging academic, practitioner, and community perspectives, and integrating diverse conceptual frameworks and theoretical perspectives.
In this track we invite participants for discussions and propositions to advance the theoretical basis of the sustainability sciences. We welcome contributions that draw on descriptive, normative or prescriptive approaches to inform the development of theory, bringing together different knowledge to address sustainability challenges. Methodological reflections or propositions for new methods and tools as well as lateral thinking are also invited.
We look for contributions that provide novel and inspiring insights on the theoretical and methodological prerequisites and implications of the ambitious scientific project of the sustainability sciences, including but not limited to the following overall aspects:
- Normativity: Interrogating norms and ethics concerning e.g. sustainability, regeneration, post-growth, planetary justice, interspecies justice, etc.
- Ontologies: Engaging with interdisciplinary ontologzuical cross-over and tensions, relational turn and new materialism, assembleage, spatiality, etc.
- Epistemologies: Drawing on and advancing post-normal science, post-colonialism, post-foundationalism, transdisciplinarity, etc.
- Systems thinking: Exploring interdisciplinary (social-ecological-technological) system understandings, systems modelling, systems ecology, etc.
- Transformations: Conceptualizing transition dynamics and ex-/innovation processes, social learning and upscaling, transformative capacity, …
- Open Topic: Other relevant aspects of sustainability science theory and methodology
News
First book published in the Routledge / International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS) Series in Sustainable Development Research.
Transdisciplinarity For Sustainability: Aligning Diverse Practices. By Martina M. Keitsch and Walter J.V. Vermeulen (Eds.)
This volume explores interactions between academia and different societal stakeholders with a focus on sustainability. It examines the significance and potential of transdisciplinary collaboration as a tool for sustainability and the SDGs.
Traditionally, academia has focused on research and education. More recently, however, the challenges of sustainable development and achieving the SDGs have required the co-production of knowledge between academic and non-academic actors. Compromising theory, methods and case studies from a broad span of transdisciplinary collaboration, Transdisciplinarity For Sustainability: Aligning Diverse Practices is written by specialists from various academic disciplines and represents an important step forward in systematizing knowledge and understanding of transdisciplinary collaboration. They are designed to provide a roadmap for further research in the field and facilitate pursuing and realizing the SDGs.
The book will appeal to researchers and postgraduate students in a variety of disciplines such as architecture, design, economics, social sciences, engineering and sustainability studies. It will also be of significant value to professionals who are engaged in transdisciplinary collaboration that supports sustainable development.
Available for ISDRS with 20% discount code: ISDRS on the book website.
Prof. Philip Vergragt’s keynote at ISDRS 26th annual Conference 15-7-2020
At the online conference Philip Vergragt of our partner organisation the “Great Transition Initiative” presented his keynote on sustainable consumption. After looking back at the historical creation of consumerism, he addressed the question how we can change away from consumerism. We can see the Covid-19 lockdown as a big experiment: can we live with less consumption? He promotes different policies for the various income levels for enabling shared prosperity.
Recommended Reading:
In ‘Journey to Earthland’ (2016) Paul Raskin sketches his vision on the “Great Transition to Planetary Civilization: available here. Recommended reading!
Enoughness:
Inspiring video explains basics in 5 minutes.
Knowledge Resources
State of the Art:
There is emerging agreement that sustainability challenges require new ways of knowledge production and decision-making: read here for more.
Collaborative research and teaching in international networks is critical, as it allows for accelerating learning by sharing problem understandings, successful solutions: read here for more.
Recommended Sources:
1) One of the useful academic teaching books is written by Bert de Vries.
2) Look at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network on Data, Indicators & more.
3) Useful courses available at the UN SDG Academy; see for example “The Age of Sustainable Development”
Routledge & Earthscans' Sustainability Hub
Find useful essays, free books and articles, case studies and more at our partner's website:
LinkedIn Discussions
Recent discourses on the ISDRS LinkedIn discussion group:
Oct 2017 Peter Strachan posted: Sustainable Energy and Transition Theory