Juelich Systems Analysis (ICE-2)

Transitioning to a sustainable economy and society requires a deep understanding of the transformative processes entailed. The Department of Economics of Sustainability and Bioeconomy tackles this challenge, exploring innovative pathways towards a more sustainable future and identifying the best options for shaping these. As technological innovations and transformation processes are embedded within evolving economic and social conditions, questions of economic feasibility, environmental compatibility, and social acceptability play a central role. To ensure that the critical synergies and conflicts between these dimensions are recognized and addressed, our research goes beyond the energy system, integrating the water–energy–land nexus (WEL nexus) and bioeconomy perspectives. This contributes to a scientific basis for forward-looking decision-making.