Leibniz Institutes at COP30 in Belém: Integrating Knowledge from Society and Science for Systemic Sustainability

With two events, Leibniz institutes from the Leibniz Lab ‘Systemic Sustainability’ and their partners are making strong contributions to sustainability transformation at the COP30 World Climate Conference in Belém. The focus lies on creative paths for global climate protection and the concept of systemic sustainability, which views ecological, societal, and economic interconnections as an inseparable whole.

1. Art, Indigenous Knowledge, and Science – New Paths for Global Climate Protection

On November 11, 2025, the Healthy Planet – Healthy People Foundation, the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, the Leibniz Lab "Systemic Sustainability" and the international youth initiative Climate Live are inviting participants to a side event in the Blue Zone of COP30.

Under the title “Integrating Art, Indigenous Wisdom and Science for Climate Action,” international experts will discuss how creative approaches, traditional knowledge, and scientific insights can work together to promote climate protection, health, biodiversity, and social participation.

Speakers include, among others:

• Bareo Hassan, Ministry of Transport of Ethiopia • Dr. Mary B. Rice, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health • PD Dr. Marion Glaser, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) • Prof. Dr. Markus Huff, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM) • Tafadzwa Chando, Climate Live

The event will be moderated by Donald Sandmann, Political Director of the Healthy Planet – Healthy People Foundation.

Dr. Marion Glaser (ZMT) will present two artistic projects in the coastal regions of Amazonia and Bangladesh, which demonstrate how creative practices can bring communities together to exchange knowledge and strengthen skills. They illustrate that art can be a powerful tool for a more sustainable and just future.

“Art can have an impact where facts alone are not enough – it can touch people, stimulate reflection, and open up spaces for collective action,” says Marion Glaser. “When used

correctly, artistic processes foster participation, exchange, and empowerment in local communities.”

Prof. Dr. Markus Huff from the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM) in Tübingen contributes the perspective of science communication. He presents current research findings that show how people perceive, evaluate, and integrate scientific information on climate and sustainability into their thinking.

“We still know too little about what makes climate communication successful. Psychological research can help us understand how people really absorb and interpret scientific information,” explains Huff. The goal is to develop effective communication strategies that can support social transformation.

The Leibniz Lab ‘Systemic Sustainability’ is represented by contributions from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) and the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM). Both institutes initiated and organised their participation together with the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), coordinated by the IWM.

Note: The side event in the Blue Zone is accessible to accredited press and registered COP30 participants. Virtual participation is also possible.

2. Conference on Systemic Sustainability at the Federal University of Pará

Parallel to COP30, an international conference on systemic sustainability will take place from November 13 to 16, 2025, at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) in Belém, with an accompanying technical excursion. Organizers include the UFPA, the Leibniz Lab ‘Systemic Sustainability’, and three UNESCO Chairs from Portugal, Japan, and Germany.

The conference was conceptualized and organized by UFPA, the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) and the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), with contributions from the Leibniz Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER).

In lectures, panels, and interactive formats, researchers, students, and representatives from politics, business, and civil society will discuss issues relating to biodiversity, agriculture, fisheries, and food systems.

Sessions organized by ZMT and ATB is dedicated to the role of innovation in the sustainable transformation of food systems.

Under the motto “Use the Invader,” researchers will show how the invasive lionfish on the northern coast of Brazil can be used as a local food source – a contribution to the management of invasive species and at the same time a research focus of Lena Knopp and Marion Glaser (ZMT).

The second topic, “From Waste to Value,” explores circular economy concepts in agriculture and food production, such as converting organic waste into high-quality protein or fertilizer using insects – a research focus at the ATB, represented by Luma Rossi Ribeiro.

In a panel organized by the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) and the Leibniz Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), experiences from regional projects will be presented that demonstrate pathways to climate-resilient agricultural systems worldwide.

Several discussion rounds led by the UNESCO Chairs will address partnerships between science, education, and local communities, especially in biosphere reserves of the Amazon region.

The conference concludes with an excursion to the coastal region around Bragança, where participants will visit local research institutions, fisheries, and sustainable resource use initiatives – a hands-on example of systemic sustainability.

Participating Leibniz Institutes from the Leibniz Lab for Systemic Sustainability:

• ATB – Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy, Potsdam • GIGA – Leibniz Institute for Global and Area Studies, Hamburg • IÖR – Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Dresden • IWM – Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen • PIK – Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam • ZALF – Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Müncheberg • ZMT – Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen