“Making a difference together”

You are a biologist and served as Director of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Frankfurt am Main until 2024. Since moving to UFZ, you have been working not only on biodiversity but also on issues relating to water research, chemical research, and environmental biotechnology. The Research Field Earth and Environment, for which you are responsible as Helmholtz Vice President, is even broader in scope. What do you find special about this work?

For me, there are several distinctive aspects. On the one hand, our research addresses challenges that will determine whether and how humanity will live on Earth in the coming decades. This includes questions such as how we address climate change, biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, environmental pollution, resource scarcity, and geological risks.

Secondly, within the Research Field, we form a unique network of seven Helmholtz Centers that combine outstanding scientific expertise, excellent national and international connections, and world-class infrastructure, including long-term observatories, observation platforms, research vessels, data hubs, and solution labs. Taken together, this enables us to investigate the complex interrelationships on our planet using a systemic approach, from mountain regions to urban areas and the most remote polar regions.

And finally, a third point: Just as there is only one Earth, all seven Centers have been conducting research within a joint research program for several years. Over time, we have learned to work together. That may sound straightforward, but it is not. This is because it involves bringing together a multitude of people, scientific disciplines, interests, expectations, and structures. However, we are aware that only through this collaboration can we preserve the Earth as a habitat for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.

What are you looking forward to?

As Vice President, I have the privilege of engaging more deeply with the topics and working methods of other research centers within the Research Field. In this role, I will gain extensive insights, acquire new perspectives, and help shape the future – an opportunity I greatly value.

What would you like to achieve and accomplish in the Research Field?

I have already mentioned the excellent cooperation within the Research Field. Nevertheless, we can further improve our joint work, which is of great importance to me. I regard this joint effort as a key prerequisite for generating significant new scientific insights, as well as achieving the urgently needed impact on the economy and society. Valid scientific results in basic and applied research constitute the hard currency of science. However, if we truly aim to make a difference, this alone is not sufficient. To achieve this, we require case studies and other successful examples that demonstrate how specific challenges within the Earth system can be addressed in ways that are economically viable, socially acceptable, and politically feasible. Bringing such examples to the forefront is our next collective step. This is how we achieve tangible impact.

Climate and environmental protection currently play only a minor role in society and politics. There are repeated calls for the German and European economies to restore stable growth. What is your perspective on this?

I consider that perspective too short-sighted. The economy is not a separate, closed system; it does not operate in isolation. Rather, it depends on a healthy environment, functioning ecosystems, clean water, fertile soils, and a stable climate. This can easily be overlooked because many environmental changes occur gradually. Biodiversity in particular is disappearing quietly, almost imperceptibly to humans, whether in plants, birds, mammals, or insects.

The latest Global Risks Report, recently published by the World Economic Forum, paints a nuanced picture. In the short term, geopolitical risks are unsurprisingly prioritized. At the same time, social risks such as “erosion of human rights” and “involuntary migration” are also highlighted. In the long term, however, environmental risks continue to dominate: “extreme weather events,” “loss of biodiversity,” “critical changes to the Earth system,” “resource scarcity,” and “environmental pollution.” These risks will continue to intensify the longer they are deprioritized. As scientists, we have a responsibility to address these risks. However, we must go further and offer concrete solutions by demonstrating that a healthy environment is a fundamental prerequisite for economic stability and long-term prosperity. Accordingly, environmental technologies, which are often overlooked, represent the second-fastest-growing industry worldwide after information technology.

One geopolitical crisis follows another. Added to this are economic crises, climate crises, environmental crises, and biodiversity crises. How can we move beyond crisis mode and regain confidence and optimism?

The crises are real; there is no sugarcoating that. However, remaining focused solely on the challenges does not move us forward. Instead, we must actively seek solutions. Identifying and communicating positive examples can play an important role in this regard. In fact, we have been and continue to be far more successful in many areas than it may appear at first glance. We have extensive case studies that demonstrate the feasibility of transformative change. I am particularly familiar with developments in biodiversity research. For example, we know that two-thirds of nature conservation projects worldwide have been successful. Since the Rio Summit in 1992, we have lost 15 species of birds and mammals, but at the same time, we have saved between 28 and 48 species. This means that we have achieved significantly more than we have lost. In addition, we need to regain greater trust in nature itself, as it has the capacity to regenerate and thus contribute to addressing challenges such as climate protection, water security, and food security.

You invest a significant part of your time in science communication. What drives you?

Throughout my career, I have become increasingly aware that if we want to make a difference in society, it is not enough to remain in our scientific ivory tower; we must bring our findings into politics and to the broader public. Following the change in U.S. administration in 2017, I intensified these efforts to counter misinformation. Engaging with journalists, policymakers, and the public through popular science lectures is more than just a duty for me; it is something I genuinely value. As a result, science communication now takes up a considerable part of my professional and personal life.

Helmholtz Research Field Earth & Environment

Katrin Böhning-Gaese