Sankt Augustin/Kiel/Darmstadt, 06.12.2024 – An alarming paper titled “Planetary Boundaries and Scientific Societies” has been published today in the renowned
journal Nature Materials. Written by a team of prominent researchers, including Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rödel of TU Darmstadt, the paper outlines the critical role scientists and scientific societies must play in addressing the escalating climate crisis and achieving global sustainability.
Interdisciplinary Solutions for a Global Challenge
The brief yet impactful paper highlights the International Alliance of Societies for a Sustainable Future (SfS), established by Prof. Dr. Rödel and colleagues, as a global unifying platform for scientific societies to drive decisive action. The authors call for interdisciplinary collaboration and emphasize the urgent need to move beyond academic silos to engage actively with policymakers, institutions, and the public.
“Our education and expertise give us not just the ability, but the responsibility, to lead by example and advocate for transformative changes,” states Prof. Dr. Rödel. “The Alliance of Societies for a Sustainable Future is a vital step in uniting scientific disciplines toward addressing this global crisis.”
A Call for Action and Accountability
The publication underscores the systemic challenges of sustainability, spanning from climate change to biodiversity loss and resource depletion. It advocates for specific actions, including:
• Embedding sustainability into conferences and scientific journals.
• Supporting universities in becoming role models for sustainable operations.
• Combating misinformation and promoting informed public discourse.
The paper is a rallying cry for the scientific community to leverage its networks, expertise, and authority to combat the intertwined crises of planetary boundary transgressions and ensure a sustainable future for all.
About the Authors
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rödel (TU Darmstadt), Prof. Dr. Franz Faupel (CAU Kiel), and Dr. Stefan Klein (DGM e. V.) are leading figures in the field of materials science and engineering. Their interdisciplinary expertise brings a unique perspective to this urgent global issue.
For more information, contact: Dr. Stefan Klein
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde e. V. - German Society for Materials Science
dgm@dgm.de | +49 (0) 69 75 306 750 | www.dgm.de
Nature Materials: https://rdcu.be/d2DZ7
Criteria of this press release:
Business and commerce, Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students, Teachers and pupils, all interested persons
interdisciplinary
transregional, national
Cooperation agreements, Scientific Publications
English
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).