The Politics of Nature and the Environment research group PONTE aims to increase theoretical and empirical knowledge on the social essence of environmental issues and produce practical solutions to address specific environmental problems. It serves as a multidisciplinary platform to clarify the dynamics through which human relations with the environment and nonhuman nature emerge and interact on the political agenda. We are part of the Research Program on the Politics of Space and the Environment (POLEIS) in Faculty of Management and Business.
Research focus and goals
PONTE research is structured according to three focal and interrelated research areas, which cover a broad spectrum of substantive topics including major challenges such as climate crisis, urbanisation and sustainability.
- Environmental policy and governance focuses on interpreting the nature of complex environmental policy processes.
- Politics of nature aims to study how nonhuman nature carries and influences both material and discursive power and can become an asset in the creation and implementation of sustainable policies.
- Urban studies focuses on sustainable urban development and analyses the contextual factors of the social, economic and ecological transition in cities, the politics of land use and planning, and the role of expertise and civic involvement in the making of future cities.
The research utilises interpretative policy analysis and empirical work is mainly built on case studies. We engage in practical policy solutions for example by experimenting with new practices and strong stakeholder collaboration.
