About Energy, Environment & Sustainability

Thematic Focus and Goals of the Research Center

The “Energy, Environment & Sustainability” Research Center consolidates the diverse research activities being carried out by all the faculties of the FernUniversität on these topics and addresses corresponding subject and thematic interfaces.

The research center’s aim is to examine the political, economic, social, and technological dimensions of the energy and environmental sector – and their interdependencies – as well as to analyze the approaches and effects of energy and environmental policy. In addition to pure research, the group plans to develop practical and process-oriented solution models for business, politics, and society.

The focus of the project is thus less on questions of technology transfer, but rather – in view of the complex social, economic, and technological challenges involved – on analytically bridging the gaps between science, business, politics, and society.

This interdisciplinary array of research perspectives ranges from business and economic approaches to issues concerning political, social and legal science as well as technological (IT-related) components.

The research activities are carried out in the form of individual research projects as well as through interdisciplinary research groups.

The CO₂ clock set up by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change illustrates how much CO₂ can be released into the atmosphere before the global warming limits 1.5°C and 2°C, respectively, will be exceeded.
The Energy, Environment & Sustainability research group is trying to make a positive contribution to climate change and to limit global warming through scientific and transfer-oriented research as well as organizing teaching and training programs.