Sustainability Working Group

About

Join us in the search for economic solutions to environmental challenges like climate change, pollution, and the management and distribution of finite resources. 

Coordinators:
Anna Hornykewycz (Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria)
Mateusz Ciasnocha (Ciasnocha Family Farms, Poland)
Jheelum Sarkar (American University, USA)

Contact
sustainability[@]youngscholarsinitiative.org

Mandate (2024)

Research themes

Exploring the nexus between Sustainability and Inequality on various levels, specifically:  

  • Sustainability and poverty, 
  • The political economy of sustainability in the Global South, 
  • Environmental justice and racism, 
  • Climate change adaptation and gender.  

Conceptualizing economic and legal models for a sustainable (regenerative) society, specifically:  

  • Alternative economic systems, 
  • Necessary legal frameworks for sustainability, 
  • Sustainability and the social solidarity economy, 
  • Community-led environmental stewardship, 
  • Sustainability and the administration of common goods.  

Climate action on various levels, specifically: 

  • UNFCCC Climate Process and Implementation, 
  • Key economic considerations for sustainability in the final decade of SDG action, 
  • Farmers in the climate action, 
  • Building resilience against environmental shocks (e.g. pandemics).  

Financing the socio-ecological transition, specifically: 

  • Role of Central Banks and International Development Banks in just transition, 
  • Public money for public goods, 
  • Repurposing agricultural subsidies – from subsidies to delivery of public services.

Research questions

Inequality: 

  • How can we achieve a socially and ecologically just world without perpetuating racism or neo-colonialism? 
  • What does ‘sustainability’ mean to the marginalized communities who suffer the most the environmental disasters? How can this definition inform public policies? 
  • How can we make international processes just and participatory?  

Economic and legal concepts:  

  • How is the climate crisis connected to the capitalist system and to what extent must the capitalist system be changed in order to ensure long-term and overall sustainability? 
  • What legal framework is necessary to support sustainability? 
  • What are the limitations of economic thinking in addressing environmental problems? Can alternative approaches help address the impacts of climate change and potential policies? 
  • Between technological breakthroughs and social innovations of the millennials, what will the cooperative of 2050 be made of?  

Climate action:  

  • How does environmental activism challenge the capitalist system, and what methods, limitations, and learning outcomes are involved? 
  • How to start and accelerate systemic policy making? Especially on the nexus of climate change and agricultural policy-making. 
  • Value of soil health in policymaking? EU Soil Mission, CA4SH: Coalition of Action for Soil Health, National Soil Advocate & the Parliamentary Friends of Soil Health – Australia  

Financing: 

  • Putting (private) money to work through the IDBs: International Development Banks? 
  • How can a socio-ecological transition be financed? 
  • What is the role of finance in achieving sustainable development in the Global South? 

Projects Planned 

    • IFAMA Annual Congress 
    • Ecologizing Economics: Reflexivity, Methods and Interdisciplinarity in the Age of Anthropocene 
    • YSI @ COP29 (and beyond) 
    • New UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) Webinar Series and project to be co-created with key partners and actors building on the success of YSI @ COP28 Webinar Series 
    • YSI @ CFS: Committee for Food Security

Existing partnerships and cooperation 

  • Brazilian Association of Ecological Economics (ECOECO) 
  • CA4SH: Coalition of Action for Soil Health 
  • Central Bank of Bolivia (BCB) 
  • Ciasnocha Family Farms 
  • EIT Food 
  • EU Soil Mission 
  • Future Earth Early Career Researchers – Network of Networks (Future Earth ECR NoN) 
  • IFAMA: International Agribusiness Management Association 
  • Institute for the Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy (ICAE), Linz 
  • International Input-Output Association (IIOA) 
  • MIDAS Project 
  • Ministry of Economy and Finance of Bolivia (MEFP) 
  • Oxford University – Laudato Si Research Institute 
  • Sant’Anna Scuola Universitaria Superiore, Pisa 
  • Scholas Occurrentes – Scholas Catedras 
  • Sustainability & Livelihood Research – Organization (SULIVER) 
  • The Economy of Francesco 
  • The European Carbon Farmers 
  • UNFCCC Conference of the Parties 
  • High Level Champions for Climate Action 
  • Food System Pavilion 
  • University of Padova 
  •  

Projects

You’re welcome to join any webinar or reading group at any time. You’re also invited to apply to present or participate in an any in-person workshop in your area. 

Upcoming 

News

The latest updates and announcements, sent out to all working group members via email.
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1 week left to propose readings for the next discussion group!
Hello all, don't forget to propose some papers or other…
June 12, 2017
15:02
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Sustainability Group: Paper discussion on the 8th of July
Hello all,the next meeting of our Sustainability Working Group will…
June 5, 2017
15:26
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Sustainability Group: Next meeting this Saturday, 3rd of June!
Hello all, the next meeting of our Sustainability Working Group…
May 30, 2017
10:01
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