Niko Paech, economist at the University of Oldenburg, has been nominated for the ZEIT WISSEN "Courage for Sustainability" award in the "Knowledge" category.
The award is intended to honour pioneers who make an outstanding contribution in the field of sustainable development. The prize is endowed with 10,000 euros and will be awarded for the first time on 21 February 2013 in Hamburg.
Among other things, the jury will assess whether the potential award winners have an exemplary impact on society - for example, through the exemplary development of a lifestyle that is not based on waste and material growth - or whether they use new forms of knowledge transfer, research and teaching.
Niko Paech is Adjunct Professor of "Production and Environment" at the University of Oldenburg, Chair of the Association for Ecological Economics (VÖ) and one of the most important pioneers of a post-growth economy in Germany. In his latest book "Liberation from Abundance", Paech, who does not own a car himself and avoids flying, calls for consistent climate protection - which is only possible by reducing global mobility. In his research, Paech focusses on the structural change that is necessary for an economy without growth. This involves turning away from the prosperity of goods in favour of a better quality of life.