News archive

Second Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change

The report summarises the current state of research, analyses the consequences of climate change, and presents options for action in Austria. Eleven researchers from the Institute of Social Ecology contributed to the report, including Karlheinz Erb and Barbara Smetschka, who acted as coordinating lead authors.

Congratulations Sarah Matej

We warmly congratulate Sarah Matej on defending her doctoral thesis with distinction!

Fitness for future

Veronika Gaube is co-author of a new paper by Ohnemus, T., et al., 2025. Fitness for future: eLTER RI's representation of climate and land use change. Ecological Indicators 171

Post-Doc Position

Vacancy

The Institute of Social Ecology (SEC) at BOKU University, Vienna, announces a postdoctoral researcher position in the field of advanced socio-metabolic modelling of stocks and flows associated with global production-consumption networks.

Rethinking Growth: Green Growth

In an interview with Icarus Complex Magazine, Helmut Haberl explains the links between economic growth, the circular economy, and economic and societal well-being.

Congratulations Lisa Kaufmann

We warmly congratulate Lisa Kaufmann on defending her doctoral thesis with distinction!

Rigorosum

Lisa Kaufmann

Socio-Metabolic Insights into Sustainability: Exploring Socioeconomic Carbon Pools and Regional Food Systems

Time / Place: 21.03.2025, 15:00 / Institute of Social Ecology, Schottenfeldgasse 29/3, 1070 Vienna, SR 3a

Unmute biodiversity risks of free trade? The EFTA–Mercosur Agreement (Swiss) case study

New article by Willemin, Rémi, Cornelia B. Krug, Nicolas Roux, Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi, Marc Chesney, Benjamin Curnow, Sierra Deutsch et al.

New paper by Willi Haas, André Baumgart, Nina Eisenmenger, Doris Virág et al.

How decarbonization and the circular economy interact: Benefits and trade‐offs in the case of the buildings, transport, and electricity sectors in Austria.

Recent Advances in Social Metabolism Research: Sources and Methods

Special Issue in Historical Methods: guest edited by Andrew Watson, Simone Gingrich and Joshua MacFadyen

Unpacking the Path toward a Sustainable Circular Economy through Industrial Ecology

Magnus Fröhling, Chika Aoki-Suzuki, Bhavik Bakshi, Sina Leipold, Xin Tong, Hannah Su-Han Wang and Dominik Wiedenhofer published a special issue of "Journal of Industrial Ecology"

Habilitation Willi Haas

Congratulations to Willi Haas on the successful completion of his habilitation.

Postgraduate Research Associate

Vacancy

We are currently seeking a Postgraduate Research Associate on Political Dimensions of Social-Ecological Transformations. Deadline for applications: 06.01.2025

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Vacancy

We are currently seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the field of Political Ecology. Deadline for applications: 06.01.2025

Invitation: public habilitation colloquium Willi Haas

Social Ecology

5.12.2024

Highly Cited Researchers

Ranking

Karlheinz Erb and Helmut Haberl are among the most cited researches in the world. Category: Cross-Fields

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Vacancy

We are currently seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the fields of social ecology, ecological economics or similar. Deadline for applications: 06.01.2025

Congratulations Harald Grabher

We warmly congratulate Harald Grabher on defending his doctoral thesis with distinction!

Congratulations Anna-Katharina Brenner

We warmly congratulate Anna-Katharina Brenner on defending her doctoral thesis with distinction!

Congratulations Kathrin Kaltenegger

We warmly congratulate Kathrin Kaltenegger on defending her doctoral thesis with distinction!

Environmental History

Public Presentations Professorship

Simone Gingrich

Scientific presentation: Uncovering the history of current sustainability challenges: a long-term socio-ecological research agenda.

Lecture: „Was können wir aus der Umweltgeschichte für einen sozial-ökologischen Wandel hin zu einer nachhaltigen Zukunft lernen?“

Time/Place: 11.10.2024, 09:00 / hybrid event

Dissertation Defense

Anna-Katharina Brenner

Path dependencies and transformative actions towards sustainability. How actors, institutions and material dimensions shape urban built environments

Time / Place: 07.10.2024, 15:00 / Institute of Social Ecology, Schottenfeldgasse 29/3, 1070 Wien, SR 3a

Dissertation Defense

Harald Grabher

Household energy services from biomass and their interrelations with material stocks and flows: A socio-ecological case study in Ethiopia

Time / Place: 05.11.2024, 14:30 / Institute of Social Ecology, Schottenfeldgasse 29/3, 1070 Wien, SR 3a

Dissertation Defense

Katrin Kaltenegger

Analyzing flows of reactive nitrogen on different scales - global to urban perspectives

Time / Place: 07.10.2024, 13:00 / Institute of Social Ecology, Schottenfeldgasse 29/3, 1070 Wien, SR 3a

Sanitary Danube Capital: sewerage reform in late 19th century Budapest

105. ZUG-Minisymposium

Time: 21.11.2024, 18:15 Uhr, Ort: BOKU University | Standort Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Wien, SR 3a oder online via Zoom

PhD position: Material Stocks and Flows of Provisioning Systems Embedded in Global Production-Consumption Networks

Vacancy

Closing date for applications: 05.08.2024

PhD position: The environmental history of Austrian forest regulations, 1766-1914

Vacancy

Closing date for applications: 31.08.2024

Transformative Research for a Just World and a Habitable Planet

Pathways Autumn School 2024

The 3rd edition of the Pathways Autumn School will take place from November 25-29, 2024 in Aussois, in the French Alps. Applications are now open until May 22nd, 2024.

UN Global Resources Outlook 2024

Bend the trend. Pathways to a liveable planet as resource use spikes

The newest report of the International Resource Panel - Marina Fischer-Kowalski was part of the process

Sustaining All Our Relations: Indigenous Environmental Justice and the Climate

ZUG-Minisymposium / Rachel Carson Center Lecture, 22.04.2024, 18:15 Uhr

Globally, Indigenous peoples bear significant burdens related to climate change, akin to the historical injustices of colonial processes. Focusing on the Canadian context, this talk will examine how climate change causes displacement from traditional territories, while also affecting Indigenous peoples’ health, sovereignty, and self-government.

Creating Circularity for Critical Raw Materials

SEC Lecture, 11.06.2024, 6 p.m.

Presentation: Christoph Helbig, University of Bayreuth, Germany; Moderation: Dominik Wiedenhofer, BOKU University; Place: Institute of Social Ecology, SR 3a, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Wien & Zoom: bokuvienna.zoom.us/j/61392424551

PhD Positions in Social Ecology and Environmental History of RIVERS

Closing date for applications: April 2, 2024.

APCC SR “Structures for a climate-friendly living"

Panel discussion. Open course of the Master’s programme Climate Change and Societal Transformation, March 19, 2024, 9:15 - 10.45 / Aula Schwackhöferhaus (Exhibition: March 11-19, 2024)

2 Open PhD Positions in Environmental History of Forests

Closing date for applications: January 31st, 2024

The Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute of Social Ecology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna is offering 2 PhD positions to join the Project INFEST "Industrialization of Austrian Forests 1766 - 1914".

Harald Grabher

Awarded with a membership in the Empowered Futures Research School

Highly Cited Researchers 2023

Category: Cross-Field

Karl-Heinz Erb and Helmut Haberl once again among the world's most cited researchers. Congratulations to them!

Congratulations Sonja Bauernschuster

We warmly congratulate Sonja Bauernschuster on defending her doctoral thesis successfully!

Investigating the legal formalization and governance of social metabolism

# SEC Lecture / BOKU LAW, 28.11.2023, 06 p.m.

Presentation: Benoît Schmaltz, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France, CERCRID (Centre for Critical Research on the Law); Commentary: Daniel Ennöckl, BOKU Wien; Moderation: Helmut Haberl, BOKU Wien; Place: Institute of Social Ecology, SR 3a, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Wien & Zoom: bokuvienna.zoom.us/j/94542630233, ID 9454 2630 233

Prof. Richard C. Hoffmann: Three European Fisheries. Evolutions of the Later Middle Ages

Institut für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung, Zentrum für Umweltgeschichte, Institut für Hydrobiologie und Gewässermanagement
Time: 30.11.2023. 17.00 c.t. / Place: Universität Wien, Elise-Richter-Saal

Dissertation Defense

Sonja Bauernschuster

The nexus between climate change mitigation and development in Laos

Time / Place: 24.10.2023, 10:00 / Institute of Social Ecology, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Wien, SR 4c

Editors’ Highlights at Nature Communications

The editors at Nature Communications select a small number of articles that they believe are particulary interesting or important.

The article "Built structures influence patterns of energy demand and CO2 emissions across countries" was chosen in the category "Social Sciences" (Haberl, H., Löw, M., Perez-Laborda, A., Matej, S., Plank, B., Wiedenhofer, D., Creutzig, F., Erb, K.H., Duro, J.A., 2023. Nat Commun 14, 3898. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39728-3)

Congratulations Doris Virág

We warmly congratulate Doris Virág on defending her doctoral thesis with distinction!

Congratulations Claudine Egger

We warmly congratulate Claudine Egger on defending her doctoral thesis with distinction!

New Master's Programme with specialisation in Social Ecology

Start: winter semester 2023/24, Language: English

Habilitation

Congratulations to Melanie Pichler!

Habilitation Colloquium

MMag. Dr. Melanie Pichler

Public Habilitation Colloquium of MMag. Dr. Melanie Pichler

Time / Place: Tuesday, 20.06.2023, 16:30 h, Seminar room 01, Mendelhaus Erdgeschoß

An Introduction to the Social Ecology of Capital

# SEC Lecture / Umweltkolloquium, 25.05.2023, 06 p.m.

Presentation: Éric Pineault, Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Quebec à Montréal

Applications for the position of a Full Professor of Social Ecology

Application deadline: 15.09.2023

The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Department of Economics and Social Sciences, seeks to appoint a Full Professor of Social Ecology with 1st December 2023. The position is offered in accordance with §98 of the 2002 Universities Act in the form of an ongoing contract.

Global change, sustainability, and human well-being

Exploring research contributions to urgent societal challenges

International Syposium, Austrian Academy of Sciences, June 19, 2023, 14:00

Land under Pressure. Ways to Climate-Neutrality

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Erb (BOKU Wien) and Prof. Sonali Shukla McDermid, Ph.D. (NYU) | Moderation: Prof. Dr. Julia Pongratz (LMU)