Our research

... for society

The Wuppertal Institute's ideas spark societal discourse on many issues. How much resource use is encapsuled in the things we use on a daily basis? How do their production, distribution, consumption and disposal affect the soil, the water and the atmosphere?

How can the benefits and burdens of measures to protect the climate and the environment be distributed justly? Who will gain, who will lose? What must processes of change look like so that society as a whole benefits and poorer countries obtain opportunities for development?

Many people are tackling these questions and are active in environmental organisations, trade unions, churches, initiatives, Agenda 21 processes and other organisations. We provide easy access to scientific findings and insights: by publishing studies and research reports in popular formats, by engaging in dialogue, by giving presentations and supporting stakeholder processes.

Ideas in practice

We work in pioneering projects. This means that we test our ideas in practice, in close cooperation with actors as well as citizens and consumers. Our aim is to make examples of good practice better-known and to encourage others to emulate them.

The Wuppertal Institute mediates between the worlds of politics, business, science and society. With our support, schools and businesses, for example, became learning partners in the project “KURS 21”. Education for sustainability is an important focus of our work. We initiate dialogues between different interest groups in workshops, at conferences and symposia.

Part of the Institute's tasks from its inception is to communicate our research to society. The media have proved an important partner in this context, with interviews and articles bringing topical results and findings to a wide audience. The Wuppertal Institute also offers workshops for journalists.

Dr. Oscar Reutter

oscar.reutter@wupperinst.org more