The Group’s general objective — by reflecting on how we relate to the “other” (be it human, animal or nature), the type of social development we advocate and the reasons and consequences of the environmental crisis — is the scientific production that allows us to respond to the social, environmental and organizational challenges in the context of the Anthropocene and globalization, as embodied in four axes: critical reflection on the meaning and narratives of development and sustainability; analysis of global and local changes; personal transformations (inner changes); policies and implementation of sustainable development.

We aim to give visibility to questions that lie at the heart of humanity’s current crossroads, namely what does it mean to live in the “age of humans”? How do we relate to the environment on a global and local scale? How do we organize ourselves to care for the common good and build social and climate cohesion and justice? How do we intersect the plurality of narratives about well-being, sustainability and development with more institutional global discourses, such as the Sustainable Development Goals? How do we implement these goals while taking into account the diversity of social, cultural and political perspectives and contexts? What actors, actions and tools do we need to mobilize in order to establish a new social-ecological contract? How can the environmental, social and human sciences inform our understanding of these challenges and help us meet them?

Through transdisciplinary scientific research, we seek to contribute to scientific advancement that spills over into teaching and research replication; decision-making in policy contexts at national and local levels; fostering discussion, public participation and co-creation of knowledge, and to raising awareness of and contributing to intra- and intergenerational sustainability.