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The GIGA and the Interdisciplinary Leibniz Lab “Systemic Sustainability”
The GIGA is a member of the Leibniz Lab “Systemic Sustainability – Biodiversity, Climate, Agriculture and Food within Planetary Boundaries.” The new “Leibniz Labs” pool knowledge across research disciplines and facilitate exchange with stakeholders from society, politics, and business. The aim is to catalyse the finding of solutions to the major challenges facing society today.
The “Systemic Sustainability” Lab is dedicated to addressing the rapid loss of biodiversity, ongoing climate change caused by intensive agriculture, and the associated issue of food (in)security. Several planetary boundaries have already been exceeded in this regard. There is an urgent need for a more systemic and action-oriented approach in science and in-depth dialogue with society if we are to arrive at transformative solutions.
This is where the Leibniz Lab comes in, integrating scientific findings and identifying possible solutions to the outlined problems. In pilot schemes in different parts of the world, the Lab is addressing respective regional requirements. It links these with global developments in seeking to understand these complex interrelationships from a holistic perspective and to identify appropriate solutions. The Lab acts both as a link between the relevant scientific communities and promoter of further exchange between science and society. By pooling the expertise of 41 research institutions and 11 research clusters from the Leibniz Association, a central hub of knowledge and consultation on issues of biodiversity, climate, agriculture, and nutrition is being created.
With its expertise in comparative regional research, the Social Sciences, and policy advice, the GIGA is a key contributor to the Leibniz Lab “Systemic Sustainability.” Dr. Miriam Prys-Hansen is a member of the network’s steering group and a co-spokesperson for the work package “Dialogue between Leibniz Lab ‘Systemic Sustainability’ and Social Actors.”
A total of three Leibniz Labs are being funded for a period of three years from 1 April 2024, each to the tune of EUR 3 million. In addition to “Systemic Sustainability,” Leibniz Association researchers are working on the following topics in the other two Labs:
“Pandemic Preparedness – Preparing for Future Pandemics by Networking between Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research: One Health, One Future”
“Upheavals and Transformations”
This new format serves to further strengthen the Leibniz Association’s interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary excellence.
In a separate project, the three Leibniz Labs will be provided with support via intensive networking and reflection in order to learn more for future initiatives by the Leibniz Association. This network project will run from 1 April 2024 for a period of three years, with EUR 700,000 funding.
