1a. Sustainable Development Science: Fundamental Concepts
Track Chairs:
Peter Schlosser. Earth Institute, Columbia University, USA. schlosser@ldeo.columbia.edu
Cecilia Haskins. NTNU, Dept. for Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Norway. cecilia.haskins@ntnu.no
Diego Valderrama. Universidad de los Andes School of Management, Colombia. d.valderrama@uniandes.edu.co
Goals and objectives of the track
The concept of Sustainable Development has been reinvigorated with the ratification by the UN of an updated set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in September 2015. These aspirational goals include ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and forests. Addressing each of these goals will require a multidisciplinary approach with environmental, technological, political, social, economic and institutional aspects.
Sustainable Development Science is a relatively new academic discipline that considers the interactions between natural and social systems, and their impact on global sustainability. The emerging relevance of this field has led to an increased demand for educational programs in sustainability, sustainable development, and sustainability science.
The goal of this track is to explore definitions, concepts, indicators and implications of sustainable development from an interdisciplinary perspective; long term change towards sustainable societies; and appropriate methods such as stakeholder communications, scenarios, forecasting and backcasting. Contributions to the track should provide an improved knowledge base for decision-making, thus helping to advance sustainability goals relevant to water, food, energy, climate, health, habitation, mobility, biodiversity and ecosystem services, among others.
Scientific disciplines contributing to sustainability science include:
- Biology, biodiversity research, ecosystem analysis;
- Ecological economics, economy-environment interaction;
- Environmental sciences, cause-effect networks;
- Evolutionary economics, sustainable economic structures;
- Political sciences, institutional analysis, governance;
- Psychology, individual preferences and behaviour change;
- Socio-economics, driving forces and incentive structures;
- Sociology, attitudes, behavioural patterns, participatory democracy.
Rather than narrowly focusing on issues relevant to sustainable development, contributions for this track should address the interactions among humans, their societal needs, and the environment from an interdisciplinary perspective. Contributions should consider the cross-disciplinary question of how science and innovation must be geared towards meeting human needs while preserving the life support systems of the planet; the institutional requirements and practical challenges associated with these processes must be addressed as well.
Peter Schlosser is the Ewing-Worzel Professor in the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Engineering and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, New York. He is Deputy Director and Director of Research of the Earth Institute, Columbia University, and a member of the Earth Institute faculty. Schlosser's research focuses on water systems, primarily in oceans and groundwater including problems caused by human impact. He is a member of the Board of ISDRS, the Earth League, the German National Academy of Science, and Fellow of AGU, AAAS and the Explorers Club. He has served on numerous national and international science steering and advisory committees.
Cecilia Haskins is an associate professor of systems engineering for the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Her research is multifaceted and multidisciplinary with a focus on issues related to sustainable development and sustainability science. She is active in research related to eco-industrial parks, lean systems engineering, improvements in project execution for shipbuilding and energy, and the education of the next generation of engineers.
Diego Valderrama is an Associate Professor in the Sustainability Area within the School of Management at the University of los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. The major focus of his research program is the application of economic theory and methods to improve the environmental, economic and social sustainability of global aquaculture and fishery systems. In the aquaculture field, Diego has investigated the production and environmental economics of a broad range of production systems and species. He has also developed complex bio-economic models to improve the management of a number of commercial fisheries.
