Research Institute for
Sustainability | at GFZ

Transforming Human-Earth Interactions

Dr. Pia-Johanna Schweizer

Research Group Leader
Theme Speaker

Dr. Erika von Schneidemesser

Research Group Leader
Theme Speaker
Illustration: verschiedene Elemente zum Themenfeld Transformation von Mensch-Umwelt-Interaktionen wie Sonne, Wind, Wasser und Personen

This research theme analyzes and develops approaches for dealing with current and potential impacts of and challenges associated with global change processes such as climate change, air pollution, and changes in the marine environment. The aim is to improve and strengthen resilience to environmental changes and risks, to identify suitable measures for prevention, adaptation or transformation towards sustainability, and to understand planetary environmental management under moral-political aspects.

Research groups working on this theme address various aspects and questions, such as: How does the rise of populism influence environmental policy and strategies for environmental protection? How can strategies for measuring and modeling air quality be developed and documented together with decision-makers and stakeholders? How can environmental governance processes and approaches be transformed so that they can address the diversity of challenges? How do forms of geoscientific knowledge and action constitute a decidedly "planetary" politics today? What challenges does this pose for long standing categories of political thought and action?

By researching transformative processes, the research theme promotes a better understanding of the cascading effects and challenges of planetary crises, while developing and critically examining possible strategies for dealing with them together with stakeholders.

Research Groups

Climate engineering measures can be divided into two groups: those intended to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and those intended to alter the Earth’s solar radiation balance.

Planetary Geopolitics and Geoengineering

The research group uses innovative methods to measure emissions.

Urban Air Quality, Mobility, and Health in Europe

Technological developments bring with them many advantages, but also risks. Dealing with these presents us with major challenges.

Systemic Risks

In order to meet the challenges ahead of us, we need oceans that are clean and sustainably managed. The Ocean Governance project looks at how we can rethink international marine policy.

Ocean Governance

In the Kathmandu Valley, brick factories are a major source of air pollution.

Regional Air Quality and Climate in Southern Asia

The pollution of the air with nitrogen oxides (NOx) is particularly high on weekdays, when many cars are on the road.

Air Quality Modelling for Policy Advice

Asian emissions contribute significantly to ground-level ozone in North America and Europe. Los Angeles records a particularly high ozone pollution.

A Global Strategy is Needed to Reduce Ozone Levels

In North America and Europe, emissions of ozone precursors such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) declined by half between 2000 and 2018, mainly as a result of strict air pollution control policies. However, the ozone content of the air – and thus the risk to human health – has not decreased proportionally. Until now, theories about the causes have been largely based on statistical conjecture. Scientists from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) at GFZ and collaborators have now provided more clarity on these changes by conducting global model simulations using a novel emissions tagging technique. Their study, published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, shows that the weaker-than-expected decline of ozone in Europe and North America is mainly driven by increased transport of ozone produced abroad.