News archive

Aerial view of Stockholm archipelago in Sweden

LEVER – Governing the climate–biodiversity–pollution nexus

12.05.2026
The biodiversity crisis cannot be separated from climate change and pollution. Yet current approaches often address them in isolation and overlook diverse perspectives and rights – especially those of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. In this project researchers and communities across five regions worldwide co-develop pathways to better govern the climate–biodiversity–pollution nexus – translating local values into policy and practical pathways for change. More information

Artisanal fishers retrieve a beach-seine net in the Western Region of Ghana

Navigating regulatory governance in West African fisheries (SIRENA)

06.05.2026
Many of the wild capture marine fisheries face illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and hazardous working conditions alongside pervasive violations of labour and human rights. Our new project investigates how formalization of West African fisheries can reshape livelihoods, working conditions, and fish stocks. More information

four pictures, two of them showing plastic bottles (one swimming in water, another on the beach), a third ocean-floor debris, and the fourth dumped nuclear waste in a corroded barrel on the seabed

Behind the facade of sustainability: What do waste images conceal?

05.05.2026
The concept “Sustainability” is everywhere. It promises clarity, yet often feels vague, even slippery. The same is true of the images we use to talk about environmental problems: they show us something important, but also conceal as much as they reveal, writes Crispin Thurlow, Professor of Language and Communication at the University of Bern. More information

Meeting with Domestic professional Association of Kenya DPAK

Inside Kenya’s Silicon Savannah: gender, work, and digital future

29.04.2026
Kenya’s rapid digital transformation is changing how people live and work. But while this shift is opening up new opportunities, it’s also exposing workers – especially women – to new risks and inequalities. Get insights in the ongoing research in the UPDATE project. More information

Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi

“Global agricultural trade needs to be rethought”

19.03.2026
The WTO Agreement on Agriculture shouldn’t just be reformed, but completely redesigned. A group of fifteen experts has developed a “Model Treaty on Agricultural Trade for Sustainable Food Systems” to achieve this goal. We asked Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi, one of the project leaders, why they are making this push now – and what it entails. More information

Zar Chi Aye

Sustainability in regions of crisis: can it still play a role?

11.03.2026
In countries shaped by conflict and instability, the meaning of sustainability shifts – from globally defined targets to the urgent task of building local resilience. Zar Chi Aye from CDE Myanmar explains why sustainability principles such as climate change adaptation and locally anchored approaches remain critical in fragile settings. More information

Gabi Sonderegger

Award for research that can’t be pigeonholed into a single discipline

02.03.2026
We’re all familiar with them: the standards for Fairtrade, organic, forest protection, and more. But do these sustainability standards also account for the effects of land use that extend beyond their immediate sphere of action? CDE researcher Gabi Sonderegger explored this question in her dissertation and provides the first systematic analysis of the issue. For this, she has been granted the Bernese Award for Environmental Research, which will be awarded publicly on 18 March – when she will also present her findings. More information and registration

application of biochar in a field_by GIZ Tim Brunauer

PyroScale – Pathways to upscale biochar projects

13.02.2026
New research project. More information

Village of Battir

No sustainability without justice

10.02.2026
The Bible doesn’t use the term sustainability, but it does deal with the issues underlying it: continuity, reliability, and a good life for generations to come. Silvia Schroer makes it clear: In today’s context, just like 2,500 years ago, the discourse on sustainability is also about setting limits on retaliation, exploitation, and abuse of power. More information

Legs of a woman and man in jeans, which show stains from painting work

Social innovation: How can we win people over to a truly sustainable tomorrow?

03.02.2026
How can we turn sustainability into a no-brainer and something many people long for, rather than using it as a buzzword? According to Björn Müller, one key to this is social innovation. More information

A smallholder woman in Peru is interviewed by a researcher in her home

Coffee, chocolate, and equity

29.01.2026
Coffee and chocolate are everyday pleasures for consumers in wealthy countries. But for the millions of farmers who produce them, life is not as sweet. Despite decades of sustainability efforts, many initiatives don’t succeed in improving farmers’ well-being. More information

Children learn to cook with an adult person in the space of ma-terre, Geneva

An urban answer to our food crises? Transforming food systems through cities

27.01.2026
Industrialized food systems are pushing ecosystems to the brink of collapse. But a proactive policy response has begun to emerge from cities. Given their growing populations, they have begun to recognize their ability to leverage urgently needed change. More information

Irene Musselli

“Public authorities should openly acknowledge that they can’t ensure that pesticides are safe”

20.01.2026
This year, the EU will restrict imports of products containing residues of pesticides banned within its borders. But it continues to export such substances to trading partners – a practice Switzerland likewise follows. Irene Musselli sees clear human rights deficits in these areas and explains what should be done. More information

Übersicht Spitze Stei

Managing natural hazards together: approaches to integrated risk management

12.01.2026
New research project. More information

Trees (shutterstock 52066750)

An independent “green economy” pathway in Africa

08.01.2026
Africa imports many processed wood products – even though it exports huge quantities of wood. This leads to massive trade deficits. In a research project led by CDE and the African Forest Forum, experts recently met to explore ways of strengthening the intra-African timber trade. More information