Knowledge, technology and trust

Knowledge-based and technology-driven decisions in policymaking, business, and civil society are regarded as key for the fundamental transformation to sustainability. However, the processes of generating, translating, and disseminating knowledge are contested. While many technological interventions offer great promise, they can also produce unintended consequences.

This thematic area of the Centre for Global Sustainability engages with key concepts in knowledge for sustainability as both practically and discursively constructed, and culturally specific in their interpretation. It investigates how such concepts are operationalised into objective measurements that nevertheless prioritise certain concerns, potentially at the expense of others, and the way in which this pattern is reflected and contested in the discourses of key stakeholders in the field: researchers, policy makers, market actors, civil society organisations, and the general public. This thematic strand fosters research and education that unpack the historical and contingent nature of key concepts in society, especially those that underpin the various discourses on sustainability. It further attends to the challenge of translating knowledge about sustainability across different contexts and languages.

Overcoming the dilemmas inherent in the current intersection of sustainability, knowledge, technology, translation and public trust in science calls for interdisciplinary research that bridges the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics with social sciences and the humanities. Such collaboration requires and promotes epistemic humility—a recognition of the limits of academic knowledge —and openness to diverse perspectives. It also fosters co-production of knowledge with affected communities, ensuring that solutions align with lived realities rather than imposing top-down fixes. By encouraging dialogue and mutual learning, this integrated approach can help restore trust and shape more equitable, context-sensitive pathways to sustainable development.

We invite interested scholars, students and practitioners to engage with us.