NMBU
About Towards
TOWARDS is a think tank to support the transformation of cities and communities towards socially just and sustainable futures.
Complex global challenges such as climate change, COVID-19 and rapid urbanisation bring into focus the deeper health and well-being dimensions of sustainable development, including social belonging, everyday interactions, and the environmental quality of local surroundings.
Rising polarization, crises of legitimacy and social inequalities highlight the ethical and equity dilemmas inherent in any practical solutions aimed at sustainability transformations.
Goals
TOWARDS fosters interdisciplinary co-learning regarding transformations towards sustainable development in cities and settlements. It does this through:
- Piloting experiments with green technologies and nature based solutions in people’s lived environments
- Examining equity and ethical dilemmas in best practices for promoting health, well-being and environmental qualities of local communities
- Exploring new modes of policy and planning required to govern sustainability transformations
Through these experiments and analyses, we bring into dialogue the development contradictions and dilemmas inherent in sustainability transformations across disciplines.
Innovating to support local transformations also requires transforming how we conduct research and teach, including a closer integration between research, education and public engagement. For this purpose, TOWARDS serves as a thinktank that opens up space for deliberation between researchers, students, civil society and public and private sectors actors.
Interdisciplinary Masterproject - Lillestrøm
TOWARDS organizes an interdisciplinary Masterproject in 2023 to gain greater insight into the breadth of sustainability challenges across disciplines.
The masterclass explores transformation, covering master theses (individual or in group) that address sustainability challenges within the themes of green technologies, social justice and health and lived environments.
For more information, contact ingrid.odegard@nmbu.no
International Master Course: Disability, Social Justice and Climate-Resilient Development
The Master's course (FHV341), a collaboration with the University of Exeter and Makerere University, offers novel opportunities for interactive, cross-cultural student learning and collaboration, alongside lectures by international expert scholars in the fields of climate justice, transformative and place-based adaptation, climate resilient development, wellbeing, and disability.
The course is open for all Master Students and will be conducted entirely in English.
Participants
News

The Road Ahead After TOWARDS: Insights from Four Years of Sustainable Collaboration
On May 20, 2025, NMBU brought together researchers, students, and community stakeholders for an inspiring closing seminar for TOWARDS, the university’s sustainability arena for sustainable cities and communities. After four years of interdisciplinary exploration and collaboration, the day was both a celebration and an important knowledge workshop for the road ahead.
Read about the road ahead here (Norwegian)
TOWARDS Master’s Stipend 2024
An overview of all stipend recipient’s master theses
As part of the TOWARDS Sustainability Arena’s mission to support innovative, interdisciplinary research, the 2024 TOWARDS master stipends were awarded to students whose theses address key sustainability challenges.
Read the summaries from the master theses here
Music video: Climate Resilient Development – A Musical and Scientific Journey

Article: If interdisciplinarity is the goal, what are the means?
Interdisciplinarity is necessary to solve society's complex challenges. But when academia is largely organized into distinct disciplines and structures do not facilitate interdisciplinarity, how can we encourage more collaboration across fields?
Read the article here (Norwegian)
The IPBES NEXUS Report was launched on December 17th
With contributions from TOWARDS members Siri Eriksen and Frode Degvold, the report highlights how climate change and biodiversity loss are mutually reinforcing crises with significant negative impacts on health, water resources, and food security. The report identifies 71 concrete actions to promote integrated progress across sectors and outlines the necessary changes in financial, economic, and governance systems to ensure a sustainable and just future.
Find the report here
Siri Eriksen and Frode Degvold with article in Nature climate change
Read the paper hereSiri about COP29: "NMBU Researchers on Climate Financing: – Far From Enough" Read the article here (Norwegian)

Are area neutrality and ecological compensation the path toward sustainable land management?
In collaboration with the Follo region, TOWARDS and KRED held a policy dialogue on area neutrality and ecological compensation, gathering experts to discuss challenges, solutions, and legal frameworks.
Read about it here
Center for Climate Resilient Development – CRED
The Center for Climate-Resilient Developemnt (CRED) is a collaboration between NMBU, the Follo region, politicians, businesses, and civil society in the Oslofjord area, with the goal of creating local solutions to climate challenges.
Read about CRED here
New TOWARDS Policy Brief
Jelle Philippus Ronaldus Buijs - former NMBU Master student - writes about his research on the lived experiences of protesters and how it can lead to a better understanding of the personal sphere of transformations.
Read the brief here

NMBU podcast

New Report by the IPCC
Climate Adaptation Is Happening Too Slowly - PRIO blog
Events
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021