Chair of Societal Transition & Circular Economy

To address global environmental change, we need a deeper understanding of the ways we can regulate the interrelations of the social and biophysical world.

The Societal Transition Group is committed to research and teaching that provides path breaking insights into the governance of inter- and transnational resource flows and their biophysical impacts. To achieve this goal, our team draws upon strong expertise in political and social science theories and methods, complemented by environmental, and engineering science knowledge and approaches.

We apply both qualitative and quantitative research methods, focusing on selected properties on micro, meso and macro levels. The scope of our research reflects not just the complexity of governing economic activity in a global age, but the fact that the easy answers have been exhausted.

To create impact, we design and implement transformative research and teaching projects in which we work in close cooperation with policy and business. We further communicate our results through publications, lectures, and social media to develop a global network of scholars and practitioners to further sustainable development in practice.

We have wrapped up our research project focusing on the Circular Economy!

Please find our main results and synthesis here:

Circulus Final Project Report 2021