Themes

This page provides an overview of the conference themes and invites researchers, professionals, and practitioners to contribute by submitting abstracts for presentations, posters, and discussions

Conference Themes

At this conference From Less-Bad to Good Enough, we focus on the concept of Absolute Sustainability. Our discussion and contributions are guided by the three main pillars of the Centre of Absolute Sustainability (CfAS): Systemic Modelling, Systematic Engineering, and Strategic Implementation. 

Each pillar encompasses specific topics and detailed insights that shape our understanding and approach to sustainability. Explore the themes and their respective focus areas below.

Systemic Modelling

Focuses on quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess sustainability and the interconnectedness of systems. 

  • Quantitative Sustainability Assessment:
    • Developing advanced life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies.
    • Modelling environmental, social, and economic impacts of products and systems. 
    • Allocation of carrying capacities to different activities. 
  • Dynamic Systems and Constraints:
    • Allocation of carrying capacities to different activities.
    • Investigating planetary boundaries and their implications for societal transitions.
    • Modelling and supporting dynamic, evidence-based decision-making for sustainability transitions. 
  • Circular Economy Systems:
    • System-level modelling for resource loops and waste management. 
    • Assessing circular readiness and take-back systems.  

Systematic Engineering

Aims to innovate, scale, and implement engineering solutions for sustainability challenges. 

  • Technology Innovation for Circularity:
    •  Developing remanufacturing technologies and disassembly-friendly design.
    • Innovating product/service-systems and eco-innovations.
  • Engineering for Absolute Sustainability:
    • Designing technologies to meet sustainability thresholds. 
    • Applying data-driven tools to optimize life cycle performance.
    • Proof of concept for data-driven development. 
  • Integration of Sustainability in Design:
    • Embedding ecodesign principles into product and system development. 
    • Managing sustainability trade-offs and improving design resilience. 
    • Industry case studies.

Strategic Implementation

Examines the pathways, policies, and business strategies to drive systemic change. 

  • Sustainability Transitions:
    • Transition plans for meeting science-based targets in an organizational setting. 
    • Understanding societal and behavioral aspects of sustainability adoption. 
  • Business Models and Economic Strategies:
    • Green growth versus degrowth
    • Addressing financial viability in sustainability-driven innovation. 
  • Collaboration Across Value Chains:
    • Enhancing multi-stakeholder collaborations for sustainable systems. 
    • Co-developing circular economy practices with industry partners. 
  • Rebound Prevention and Policy Design:
    • Creating policies to mitigate unintended consequences of sustainability initiatives. 
    • Designing systemic safeguards against rebound effects. 

Integration with Abstract Submission Form

To ensure alignment with the conference themes, applicants submitting an abstract are required to specify 1-3 topics that their work relates to. These topics should be chosen from the lists above, under the respective pillars. 

If you would like to submit an abstract, please click here to access the submission form and guidelines. 

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