Farewell to a pioneer of sustainability

Jürgen Kopfmüller has had a profound influence on sustainability research with his Integrative Concept of Sustainable Development. After 35 years at ITAS, colleagues and fellow researchers bid him farewell at a colloquium held to mark his near retirement.

Abschied Jürgen Kopfmüller — Jürgen Kopfmüller (in the middle) surrounded by the contributors to the celebratory colloquium: Malte Faber, Kora Kristof, Raimund Bleischwitz, and Angelika Zahrnt (from left to right)

KIT Vice President Kora Kristof with the original publication on IKoNE

Fishbowl-Diskussion — A lively fishbowl discussion, here with ITAS Director Armin Grunwald …

Sustainability research is one of the central themes at ITAS, and Jürgen Kopfmüller is arguably its most renowned representative and a nationally recognized thought leader. After studying economics with a focus on economic theory and environmental economics in Heidelberg, Kopfmüller conducted research as a research associate at the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU). In 1991, he moved to the Department of Applied Systems Analysis (AFAS, Abteilung für Angewandte Systemanalyse) at the former Karlsruhe Research Center, which later became ITAS.

IKoNE as a milestone in sustainability research

At ITAS, his work focused, among other things, on sustainability assessment, climate and energy policy, and the socioeconomic causes and consequences of environmental problems. His primary field of activity was the development of sustainability concepts, which culminated in 2001 with the publication of the “Integrative Concept of Sustainable Development” (IKoNE). In this concept, he and his co-authors integrated ecological, social, economic, and institutional goals. IKoNE has been and continues to be applied in various thematic, geographic, and cultural contexts. At ITAS, Kopfmüller headed the research area “Sustainability and environment” together with Christine Rösch and, most recently, the cross-cutting activity “Sustainability.”

Celebratory colloquium on “Struggles, pitfalls, and merits”

On 22 July 2026, Jürgen Kopfmüller was honored with a celebratory colloquium to mark his retirement. Under the title “The struggles, pitfalls, and merits of sustainability (research),” four influential figures shared very personal insights into 30 years of sustainability discourse. To kick things off, Angelika Zahrnt, a pioneer of the German sustainability movement and environmental policy, outlined the historical and societal context of the topic. The economist reflected on her time at BUND (German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation), which she led from 1998 to 2007 and which, among other things, co-published the groundbreaking study “Zukunftsfähiges Deutschland” (Sustainable Germany).

Malte Faber, professor emeritus of economics at the Alfred Weber Institute at Heidelberg University, then reflected on the significance of uncertainty and trust for the sustainability discourse. Faber, under whom Jürgen Kopfmüller studied in the 1980s, is considered a pioneer of ecological economics.

Raimund Bleischwitz, scientific director of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) and professor of global sustainable resources at the University of Bremen, added a more international perspective. In his keynote, he emphasized the importance of new global alliances to advance sustainability in the face of geopolitical and technological disruptions.

Kora Kristof, acting vice president for digitalization and sustainability at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), rounded out the discussion with her perspective. In her keynote speech, Kristof traced the arc from the past decades – during which sustainability had become the “new normal” in many areas – to the question of how the socioecological and digital transformations can interact today.

Discussion on the role and impact of (sustainability) research

In the subsequent open fishbowl discussion, the participants discussed, among other things, what role the younger generation can play in the future transformation and how researchers can prepare them for the challenges of our time so that they themselves can take action. The importance of integrative approaches such as IKoNE was also highlighted, as was the potential of new formats such as real-world labs, tandem professorships, or new research infrastructures as venues for transdisciplinary collaboration. The question of the impact of sustainability research and the role of researchers in their interaction with society and politics was also addressed.

Despite current struggles and obstacles, all participants in the discussion agreed that working together to bring about change is not only challenging but should also be enjoyable. Jürgen Kopfmüller will continue to share this enjoyment with his colleagues at ITAS for at least a while longer – for one and a half years, he will be able to pass on his experiences part-time to the next generation of sustainability researchers. (18 August 2026)

Further information:

Kopfmüller et al. (2001): Nachhaltige Entwicklung integrativ betrachtet. Konstitutive Elemente, Regeln, Indikatoren. Berlin. (Publication available here)
Summary of the 15 substantive rules of the Integrative Concept of Sustainable Development