Cooperation between civil society organizations dealing with environmental issues on the one hand and social issues on the other is still rare and sometimes characterized by reservations. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular offer potential for collaboration between organizations and their members on various social and environmental issues. Against this background, the aim of the transdisciplinary research project is to test and analyze cooperative relationships between different actors in the field of engagement policy. For this purpose, the ideas of “building bridges” and entering into “unusual partnerships” will be tested experimentally in model projects over a period of one year. It also takes a look at the transformative learning processes that result from the collaborations and the conducive and obstructive conditions associated with them. In addition, recommendations for the support and promotion of civil society organizations by environmental policy will be formulated. Contact: Liska Beulshausen
The Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals as an Opportunity and Challenge for Civic Engagement

Zeitraum October 2020 – March 2023
Auftraggeber Umweltbundesamt (UBA), Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit (BMU)
Kooperationspartner Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement (BBE), Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (BUND)
Weitere Projekte
October 2023 – September 2026
As part of the funding guideline "The digital municipality - supporting interactive, participatory and data-driven planning processes", the project consortium is researching the participatory involvement of children and young people in hybrid municipal planning processes using a gamified mixed reality platform.
August 2024 – February 2025
Against the backdrop of demographic developments and social change, the aim is to raise awareness among politicians and the media of the economic and social importance of communal catering and the out-of-home market. The aim of this study is to shed light on the central role of these sectors using current figures and data.
November 2022 – October 2025
Within the framework of the guideline for the funding of projects on the topic of "Exploring Regional Factors for Innovation and Change - Strengthening Societal Innovative Capacity" under the funding measure "REGION.innovativ", the project consortium is researching transformative capacities, i.e. the societal capacity based on various innovations and the activation of regional innovation systems to initiate and shape transformation processes.