Sustainability

The term “sustainability” has changed over the years. Depending on academic discipline, various approaches have been identified. Within the field of sustainability research, the human factor plays an important role: the actions of individuals and their consequences (as well as consequences for future generations) are taken into account while taking social, ecological and economical dimensions into account.

Questions concerning social, environmental and economical sustainability have accompanied research activities of L&R Social Research for many years. Our focus has been on social and economically-sustainable employment and labour market projects such as projects centred around experimental labour market policy in Austria between 1980 and 1990, or on more recent projects addressing changes in the context of global warming and digitalisation.

Developments such as the declining importance of the classical “9-to-5” concept, new work opportunities in the context of the platform economy and co-working space change not only social frameworks but also change mobility requirements and habits. Questions arise as to how the working world can be designed in the future and how can it be organised sustainably for the next generations. Which local, regional and (inter)national actors and networks are available and capable of enabling more sustainable development?