- I am the scientific director at the International Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam (Ge... moreI am the scientific director at the International Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam (Germany). I also serve as scientific director of the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes. In addition I am profesor for environmental sociology and technology assessment at the University of Stuttgart, Adjunct Professor for “Integrated Risk Analysis” at Stavanger University (Norway), Honorary Professor at the Technical University Munich and Affiliate Professor for “Risk Governance” at Beijing Normal University. My research interests include risk governance (analysis perception, communication), stakeholder and public involvement in environmental decision making, transformation processes in economics, politics and society and sustainable development.I have a doctoral degree in social psychology from the University of Cologne. My profssional career is characterized by teaching and research positions at Clark University (Worcester, USA), the Swiss Institute of Technology (Zuerich) and the Center of Technology Assessment (Stuttgart). My honours include the National Cross of Merit Order, an honorary doctorate from the Swiss Institute of Technology, the “Outstanding Research Award” of the Society for Integrated Disaster and Risk Management (IDRiM) and the “Distinguished Achievement Award” of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA). I am a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (Berlin), of the Board of Directors of the German National Academy of Technology and Engineering (Acatech) and of numerous scientific and academic advisory councils. In the past, I served as member of the “Scientific and Technical Advisory Board” of EU President Barroso, on the panel on “Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making” of the U.S.-National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. (from 2005-2007) and on the German Federal Government’s “Commission on Energy Ethics after Fukushima” (2011). In 2012, I was elected President of the International Society for Risk Analysis (SRA). I have published more than 30 monographs and over 250 peer reviewed articles (Hirsch factor 80). My most prominent English publication is the book “Risk Governance. Coping with Uncertainty in a Complex World (London: Earthscan 2008).edit
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Das folgende Projektbeispiel verdeutlicht die Herausforderungen eines Gruppendelphis bei einer sowohl unter Experten als auch unter Burgern sehr kontroversen und strittigen Technologie. Hintergrund ist CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage),... more
Das folgende Projektbeispiel verdeutlicht die Herausforderungen eines Gruppendelphis bei einer sowohl unter Experten als auch unter Burgern sehr kontroversen und strittigen Technologie. Hintergrund ist CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), eine Technologie, mit der Kohlendioxid abgeschieden und gespeichert werden kann. CCS galt in Deutschland eine Zeitlang als Ubergangstechnologie zwischen Atomkraft und Erneuerbaren Energien.
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CONTRIBUTIONS is paper is compiled by contributions from the following experts (in alphabetical order by last name): Walter J. Ammann, Colin Armstrong, Hachim Badji, Pedro Basabe, John Bircham, Joern Birkmann, Deborah M. Brosnan, Julie... more
CONTRIBUTIONS is paper is compiled by contributions from the following experts (in alphabetical order by last name): Walter J. Ammann, Colin Armstrong, Hachim Badji, Pedro Basabe, John Bircham, Joern Birkmann, Deborah M. Brosnan, Julie Calkins, Ioana Creitaru, Carmelo Di Mauro, Mechthilde Fuhrer, Carl Gibson, Bernhard M. Hämmerli, Rebecca Lordan, Kai Liu, Alexandros Makarigakis, Alan March, Satoru Nishikawa, Francesco Pisano, Armin Preis, Sergey Pulinets, Ortwin Renn, Chen Reis, Andreas Rechkemmer, Badaoui Rouhban, Haresh Shah, Peijun Shi, Marc Stal, Akhilesh Surjan, Annibale Vecere, Dennis Wenger, James Herbert Williams, Yang Zhang
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The authors of this paper suggest applying the concept of resilience in the process of setting up Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be implemented in the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda. Referring to the synopsis of the... more
The authors of this paper suggest applying the concept of resilience in the process of setting up Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be implemented in the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda. Referring to the synopsis of the scientific basis of resilience and sustainability presented by Bloesch et al., the proposed general goals and specific targets of sustainable development are introduced and discussed. The aims of the SDGs and the corresponding targets can only materialize when applying as guiding principles advanced knowledge (science), transfer of knowledge and skills (education and training), encouragement of creativity and ethical values (governance and policy). Moreover, the fundamental values of ecosystem function are to be acknowledged as well as the need to balance the three sub-systems of the eco-social triad. It appears necessary to focus on integrative resilience. The Post-2015 Development Agenda should stress the crucial role of self-regulation in ecosyst...
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Abstract The need to cope with future challenges posed by major transformations such as digitalization and sustainable development has led to several approaches to establish new concepts and methods of science and research. Scientific... more
Abstract The need to cope with future challenges posed by major transformations such as digitalization and sustainable development has led to several approaches to establish new concepts and methods of science and research. Scientific studies are supposed to provide background knowledge, to facilitate the desired transformations towards a sustainable future and to help resolving complex problems that accompany societies in transition. Concepts such as transformative, transdisciplinary or co-creative approaches elucidate the direction in which scientific research strives for its new role(s). Based on the discussion of these concepts and their different roots, the article proposes a modular concept for a transdisciplinary scientific approach combining and integrating curiosity driven research with goal oriented (advocacy) knowledge generation and catalytic, process-oriented expertise. This integration promises to address some of the deficits of the existing concepts and is particularly suitable for future studies comprising orientation, strategies and reflection for designing policies for transformations.
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“People start pollution, people can stop it!” This slogan, coined for an antipollution campaign in the USA, is convincing at first sight. The preceding chapters of this book have shown that there is a broad range of options for dealing... more
“People start pollution, people can stop it!” This slogan, coined for an antipollution campaign in the USA, is convincing at first sight. The preceding chapters of this book have shown that there is a broad range of options for dealing with solid wastes in an environmentally and economically acceptable way and that we indeed have the tools to limit waste related pollution to an acceptable level. There is, however, a broad gap between knowledge about environmental issues, on the one hand, and taking action to change the situation, on the other. Overcoming this gap is one of the central challenges in bringing environmental issues from the domain of analysis and scientific understanding to the reality of every-day life.
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Abstract The need to cope with future challenges posed by major transformations such as digitalization and sustainable development has led to several approaches to establish new concepts and methods of science and research. Scientific... more
Abstract The need to cope with future challenges posed by major transformations such as digitalization and sustainable development has led to several approaches to establish new concepts and methods of science and research. Scientific studies are supposed to provide background knowledge, to facilitate the desired transformations towards a sustainable future and to help resolving complex problems that accompany societies in transition. Concepts such as transformative, transdisciplinary or co-creative approaches elucidate the direction in which scientific research strives for its new role(s). Based on the discussion of these concepts and their different roots, the article proposes a modular concept for a transdisciplinary scientific approach combining and integrating curiosity driven research with goal oriented (advocacy) knowledge generation and catalytic, process-oriented expertise. This integration promises to address some of the deficits of the existing concepts and is particularly suitable for future studies comprising orientation, strategies and reflection for designing policies for transformations.
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Angesichts der Steuerungsproblematik in pluralistischen Gesellschaften bedienen sich politische Akteure mehr denn je wissenschaftlicher Beratungsgremien, deren Aufgabe es ist, Probleme zu identifizieren, Hintergrundwissen fur... more
Angesichts der Steuerungsproblematik in pluralistischen Gesellschaften bedienen sich politische Akteure mehr denn je wissenschaftlicher Beratungsgremien, deren Aufgabe es ist, Probleme zu identifizieren, Hintergrundwissen fur Entscheidungstrager aufzuarbeiten, Losungswege aufzuzeigen oder Handlungsalternativen zu entwerfen. Gerade bei umstrittenen Wissensbestanden ist die Grenze zwischen evidenz-basierten Aussagen und subjektiven Urteilen oft schwer zu ziehen. Von daher sollte wissenschaftliche Politikberatung Bandbreiten des Wissens im Rahmen der Diagnose wie der Empfehlungen ausloten, um unterschiedliche Interpretationen zuzulassen und auf die Pluralitat der Perspektiven hinzuweisen. Konsens uber konkurrierende Wahrheitsanspruche unter Anerkennung verbleibender Unsicherheiten und Ambivalenzen, Anschlussfahigkeit an die institutionellen und zeitlichen Bedingungen der Politikgestaltung, sowie die deutliche Trennung zwischen belastbarem Wissen und begrundbarer Spekulation sind nur einige der im Alltag der Politikberatung bewahrten Mittel, um die politische Wirksamkeit und wissenschaftliche Redlichkeit sozialwissenschaftlicher Politikberatung sicherzustellen. Fur eine sachlich fundierte und demokratisch legitimierte Politikberatung muss aber die wissenschaftliche Beratung durch eine erganzende diskursive Beteiligung der betroffenen Gruppen und Individuen erweitert werden.
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Non-technical summary All of humanity is facing the increasingly urgent challenge of finding pathways to the emergence of new, more sustainable patterns of living that promotes the co-evolution of natural and cultural systems. We address... more
Non-technical summary All of humanity is facing the increasingly urgent challenge of finding pathways to the emergence of new, more sustainable patterns of living that promotes the co-evolution of natural and cultural systems. We address this challenge by proposing changes in scientific and scholarly research communities and transformations in roles, resources, actors, and institutions of scholarship (i.e., natural and social sciences, humanities, and arts), which can contribute substantially and effectively to co-designing solutions for sustainable, just, and equitable human societies. Technical summary The critical challenge facing humanity is the increasingly urgent need to find and implement pathways that lead humankind into a new stage of dynamic equilibrium that promotes the co-evolution of natural and cultural systems. We address this challenge for scientific and scholarly research communities and the transformations in roles, resources, actors, and institutions of scholarshi...
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Der Erfolg der Krisen- und Risikokommunikation einer Institution beruht auf einer offenen und dialogorientierten Kommunikationspolitik sowie auf einer Kongruenz zwischen den Erwartungen, die ihr gegenüber gehegt werden, und deren... more
Der Erfolg der Krisen- und Risikokommunikation einer Institution beruht auf einer offenen und dialogorientierten Kommunikationspolitik sowie auf einer Kongruenz zwischen den Erwartungen, die ihr gegenüber gehegt werden, und deren Erfüllung. Zentral für die Verständigung mit anderen Akteuren und mit der Bevölkerung ist ein gegenseitiges Vertrauensverhältnis. In diesem Beitrag werden Faktoren beschrieben, die maßgeblich dafür verantwortlich sind, ob und in welchem Ausmaß Institutionen eine Vertrauensbasis und Glaubwürdigkeit schaffen können. Es wird diskutiert, wie eine vertrauensvolle Risikokommunikation auch in Krisenzeiten gelingen kann. Gelingende Risikokommunikation ist an ein Verfahren gebunden, das Glaubwürdigkeit und Kompetenz durch Offenheit der Ergebnisse, überzeugende Vermittlung von wissenschaftlicher Evidenz, den Einbezug pluraler Werte und Kriterien sowie die Synthese von System- und Orientierungswissen vermittelt. Angesichts der Unsicherheit von Wissen und der Unübersic...
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The project detects and evaluates the potential of existing participation formats to transform the political system into a cooperative and deliberative democracy. The aim is to develop recommendations for the integration of cooperative... more
The project detects and evaluates the potential of existing participation formats to transform the political system into a cooperative and deliberative democracy. The aim is to develop recommendations for the integration of cooperative and deliberative elements into representative democracy, rather than to develop an alternative model. These new elements take societal demands for increased involvement into account. The normative assumption that the public should not only be involved in elections but also in the preparation of collectively binding decisions and in the assignment of trade-offs between various political options serves as the basis for the theoretical reflection. The results of this project have significant implications for future projects on two levels. On the procedural level, the participation matrix offers opportunities for combining and recombining individual procedures and procedural elements. On the substantive level, the political recommendations offer structura...
Research Interests: Public Administration, Political Participation, Political Science, Political Culture, Politics, and 13 moreParticipation, Deliberative Democracy, Democracy, Public Participation In Governance, Partizipation, Normative, Mainstreaming, Demokratie, Politikwissenschaft, Sozialwissenschaften, Demokratietheorie, Theory of Democracy, and Texte
In 2018 a new collaborative initiative was launched by Atomium-EISD to encourage ways risk can be intelligently understood and managed. This collaboration seeks to foster greater public risk literacy, from its stronger forms of developing... more
In 2018 a new collaborative initiative was launched by Atomium-EISD to encourage ways risk can be intelligently understood and managed. This collaboration seeks to foster greater public risk literacy, from its stronger forms of developing better statistical understanding to more basic abilities to recognize characteristics of both bad and good risk communication and research. The aim is to make an actionable impact on risk conversations in society, among thought-leaders and between decision-makers and to improve the quality of debate and decision making around risk issues. The ultimate aim is to free up societal resources which can then be used for the greater good of the public.
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Although radiation protection is challenged by many uncertainties, there is no systematic study investigating the definitions and types of these uncertainties. To address this gap, in this paper we offer a scoping review to... more
Although radiation protection is challenged by many uncertainties, there is no systematic study investigating the definitions and types of these uncertainties. To address this gap, in this paper we offer a scoping review to comprehensively analyse, for the first time, peer-reviewed scientific articles (n = 33) related to uncertainties in the following radiation exposure situations: nuclear emergencies, decommissioning of nuclear/radiological installations and long-term radiological exposure situations (e.g. naturally occurring radioactive materials). The results suggest that firstly, there is no agreement regarding definitions of uncertainty, which is mainly defined based on its sources, types or categories rather than by its meaning. Secondly, different actors are faced with different types of uncertainties. Uncertainties of the scientific community are mostly data and methodology-driven (e.g. dose-response relationships), those of the decision-makers are related to the likely cons...
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Complex modern societies require new ways of political conflict solution, especially concerning environmental conflicts. We distinguish six forms of conflict solution, including those of mediated bargaining and cooperative discourse. If... more
Complex modern societies require new ways of political conflict solution, especially concerning environmental conflicts. We distinguish six forms of conflict solution, including those of mediated bargaining and cooperative discourse. If one opts for cooperative discourse, further orientation according to criteria such as fairness, competence, legitimation and efficiency seems to be important. Three procedural steps within cooperative discourse-i.e. establishing relevant value attitudes, expert-hearings, evaluation of options by citizen panels-are sketched and critically discussed, making use of experience from recent discoursive siting panels in Switzerland and Southern Germany. With the exception of a legitimatory deficiency (which may be improved) cooperative discourse and citizen participation in environmental decision-making turn out to be most promising.
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ABSTRACT