About us

LIPHE4 is a non-profit scientific association established in 2003, which gathers an international group of scholars in the field of Sustainability Science. Our aims are:

• To promote research and educational activities related to Sustainability Science and Science for Governance, and
• To support the development and application of innovative approaches and analytical tools.

LIPHE4 is particularly focused on the development and application of an innovative methodology called Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM), developed by Mario Giampietro and Kozo Mayumi. MuSIASEM allows us to represent biophysical and socioeconomic variables in an integrated way, establishing a link between the metabolism of societies and the potential constraints of the natural environment. Moreover, our research aims at facilitating dialogue between science and society by enabling a participatory quality control mechanism through extended peer review for the selection and discussion of relevant scenarios and strategies for sustainability.

LIPHE4 organizes summer schools on Integrated and Participatory Analysis of Sustainability Scenarios, as well as thematic sessions at scientific conferences.

LIPHE4 counts with an extensive international network of scientists of various disciplines, among whom Tim Allen, Richard Aspinall, Silvio Funtowicz, Gilberto Gallopin, Kozo Mayumi, Giuseppe Munda, Roger Strand, Joseph Tainter, and David Waltner- Toews.