Spotlight

In this section, you'll find our contributions to current debates for a sustainable future from a sound scientific perspective as well as glimpses behind the scenes.

Latest stories and interviews

8 May 2025

Anna-Katharina Hornidge and Sabin Bieri

“We mustn’t shy away from doing science that’s political”

The election of Donald Trump is causing the pillars of the previous world order to collapse. What does this mean for the goals of sustainable development, and for sustainability science itself? We spoke to Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director of the German Institute IDOS, and CDE Director Sabin Bieri.

15 April 2025

World map in colours

On the path to transformation

In autumn 2024, after years of preparation, it was finally time: the new CDE Master’s programme in Sustainability Transformations officially kicked off. Now, we take a moment to look back on an intense period – as well as to briefly look ahead.

9 April 2025

Hugo Caviola

Do we really need to “step on the gas” for the transport transition?

There’s hardly a form of mobility that causes higher economic costs than private motorized transport. Achieving change in this sector will also require a change in how we talk about transport. This was demonstrated by a linguistic discourse analysis of more than 1,000 transport-related documents.

19 February 2025

Stephanie Moser

“Sustainability initiatives are important forces for change”

We often feel helpless and overwhelmed in the face of current world crises. Now a new book by CDE scientists shows how civil society sustainability initiatives can provide a counterbalance. They’re a “step towards a more resource-efficient life,” says Stephanie Moser, one of the book’s authors.