Contemporary sustainability challenges are characterized by complex ecological and socio-economic systems, diffuse impacts, deep uncertainty, and possible irreversible tipping points. Current institutional frameworks, policy responses, and research agendas often struggle to address highly interconnected problems, particularly those that span multiple scales from local to global and involve diverse actors across government, market, and civil society and community sectors. Focusing on sustainability governance – or the structures, processes, and actions through which actors organize collective action to address complex, interrelated, and often non-linear socio-environmental challenges – presents a critical shift in how we approach planetary crises.  

This Convergence Café aims to bring together RCEI affiliate scholars and other full-time Rutgers faculty and staff to mobilize interdisciplinary research teams focused on key themes in sustainability governance across all four RCEI Focus Areas (Earth System Science; Renewable Energy, Technology and Energy Conservation; Human Dimensions of Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience; and Climate Change Communication and Environmental Humanities). 

This event is for you if you are: 

• Interested in learning how other Rutgers scholars approach sustainability governance challenges across different contexts and systems 
• Thinking about how the environmental, social or economic data you are producing interfaces with policy and decision-making processes
• Searching for collaborators to develop interdisciplinary research on policy, institutions, behavior, communications and other governance innovations that are being developed to improve sustainability problems
• Interested on integrating questions of justice and equity, which are central to enduring sustainability outcomes, into your research
• Looking to increase competitiveness within funding programs that emphasize transdisciplinary sustainability research and broader impacts in a challenging funding environment
• Seeking to develop community partnerships that co-produce knowledge and pilot alternative governance approaches
• In need of planning funds to get a relevant project off the ground

This Convergence Café will feature plenary presentations on sustainability governance frameworks, panel discussion to introduce current work by faculty on topics such as risk communication, participatory planning and stakeholder engagement, multiscalar governance, and other issues, and structured networking sessions centered on thematic areas (including governance of food, biodiversity, energy, and fisheries). See agenda here.

Registration Deadline is April 3 at 11:59 PM.