Headline: News

Transformative politics is not the result of continual progress, nor is it possible to the same extent at all times and in all places. It depends rather on favourable moments, which are described in political theory as kairos after the Greek god of opportunity. In his book Die Gelegenheit ergreifen – Eine politische Philosophie des Kairós (Seizing the Opportunity – A Political Philosophy of Kairos), IASS researcher Alexander Neupert-Doppler analyses the use of this term in modern theories of societal change.

Just five weeks after the UK formally left the European Union, a shared learning event organised by the IASS and the Welsh Government on 5 March in Berlin showed that the desire for Welsh-German cooperation in the area of sustainability is unwavering. A summary of the day in texts and videos.

The IASS will welcome nineteen new fellows in 2020. Representing a broad array of disciplines and professions, the fellows will have the opportunity to develop new ideas, cooperate with the staff of the institute, and interact with the wider Potsdam-Berlin sustainability communities during their time here.

High investment costs are a major impediment to the energetic refurbishment of residential buildings in Germany. Smart thermostats are a relatively inexpensive alternative. An IASS study shows that they are cost-effective for homes with a medium to low efficiency standard even when the realised energy savings are modest.

On 17 – 26 August 2020 the seventh Potsdam Summer School will explore the theme of “Water: Our Global Common Good – The Hydrosphere across Land and Sea”. Early-career scientists and young professionals from the private sector, governmental agencies and non-governmental organisations are invited to apply for a place at the summer school by 17 April.

The next decade will be crucial for the future of our oceans. What role can marine regions play in efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals? Which approaches have proven successful and what can be done to enhance their coordination? Experts developed solutions to these questions and more at the Marine Regions Forum held in Berlin, Germany last autumn. On 4–5 February, IASS project lead Sebastian Unger will present the most important recommendations at a preparatory meeting for the United Nations’ 2020 Ocean Conference.

Interest in the extraction of mineral resources from the deep seabed has grown in recent years. In order to protect the marine environment, the existing legal framework must be strengthened through the addition of environmental objectives and regulations to minimize harmful impacts. A team of researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam recommends the establishment of ecological safeguards for deep-seabed mining in a new report commissioned by the German Environment Agency (UBA).

The Science Platform Sustainability 2030 (wpn2030) started the New Year with a new management team. Daniela Jacob, Director of the Climate Service Center Germany and Chairperson of the German Committee Future Earth (DKN Future Earth), and Christa Liedtke, Director of the Sustainable Production and Consumption department at the Wuppertal Institute, Professor at the Folkwang University of the Arts, and member of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Germany, have joined IASS Director Patrizia Nanz at the helm of the Platform.

The coal phaseout in Lusatia has already been dragging on for three decades. In the face of delays to the promised structural transformation of the region, the out-migration of its young people, and local conflicts of interest, politicians now need to take action on two fronts. Financial investment alone will not be enough; the local population has to be involved in determining the direction its region is going to take. In a new publication IASS researchers analyse the obstacles to change and point to opportunities for democratically legitimised transformations.