When Science Speaks – Why the ECH Reaches Out to Society

The grand stage of environmental and climate research is no quiet laboratory. It is a dynamic web of ideas, data, uncertainties -and above all, people. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution - the so-called “Triple Crisis” - are not abstract graphs in a journal article. They are real, lived realities. And they affect us all.

But how does what researchers model, measure, and argue about for months make its way into society, to people, who do not read  peer-reviewed journals with their breakfast? Why does it matter that scientific insight does not remain locked in academic echo chambers?

For the Environment and Climate Research Hub (ECH) at the University of Vienna, the answer is unequivocal: Science must step beyond the boundaries of academia and engage directly with society. 
 
“We’re facing enormous challenges that can only be addressed collectively,” says Prof. Thilo Hofmann, one of the ECH’s two directors. “This calls for a dialogue between science and society - honest, reciprocal, and open to new perspectives.”

At ECH, communication is not an afterthought; it is an integral part of doing science. Since its founding in 2024, the hub has brought together more than 70 researchers across disciplines - from atmospheric science to environmental psychology, from biodiversity to law, economics, and cultural studies.
 
Research is interdisciplinary, challenges are complex, and solutions must be too. Yet without public understanding, political momentum, and individual decision-making, even the best science will not be able to make a change.  
Environmental psychologist and ECH co-director Prof. Sabine Pahl puts it succinctly: 
“Scientific insights are not an end in themselves. Our task is also to offer orientation - and that only works if we communicate in ways that are clear and meaningful.”

What does that look like in practice? Take “Umwelt im Gespräch” (“Environment in Dialogue”), a public series hosted by ECH in collaboration with Vienna’s Natural History Museum. Here, researchers engage in live discussions with policymakers, civil society, and the media. Instead of simply handing down answers, the event is raising important questions : How does microplastic affect our food systems? Is urban soil losing its memory? Can cities learn to breathe? 
 
The ECHO newsletter follows a similar ethos. Targeted at a global, academically engaged public, it doesn’t merely summarise new papers. It explores pressing themes - through multiple disciplinary lenses, in relation to societal shifts, with space for controversy, hope, and curiosity.

ECH sees itself as a catalyst: for interdisciplinary collaboration, for societal dialogue, and for rethinking how we live. 
It’s not about final answers. It’s about honest grappling - with data, with contradictions, with possible futures. 
 
“Science alone won’t save the world,” says Thilo Hofmann. “But it can open doors - and provide the tools we need to build solutions together.” 
 
Sabine Pahl adds: “Communication is the first step toward transformation. If your voice isn’t heard, you can’t drive change.” 
 
That’s why the ECH speaks up. Not because it has all the answers - but because it knows that knowledge only matters when it’s shared.

Keep in touch - subscribe to the ECHO newsletter and join our public events. Because shaping a sustainable future starts with a shared conversation.