Social participation as the key to sustainable development: final panel of the lecture series "Principles of Sustainable Development" discusses social participation and sustainability in Thuringia

On 3 February 2026, the final panel of the fourth interdisciplinary lecture series "Princples of Sustainable Development" took place. The event focussed on the link between social participation and sustainability and asked: How can these aspects be considered and strengthened together in Thuringia?

The lecture series was organised jointly with Erfurt University of Applied Sciences and was aimed at students from all faculties. It covered a wide range of topics - from sustainable urban development and the energy transition to gender equality and sustainable mobility. Professors from a total of six Thuringian universities took part in the lecture series, making the event a platform for internal networking and external cooperation.

Tine Wemheuer (Erfurt University of Applied Sciences), Sophia Schröter (BUNDjugend Thüringen), Christian Prechtl (Ministry for the Environment, Energy, Nature Conservation and Forestry), Professor Dr Matthias Gather (Thuringia Sustainability Advisory Board) and Stephan Panhans (Der Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband Landesverband Thüringen) took part in the final panel discussion. The discussion was moderated by Professor Dr Viola Muster (Erfurt University of Applied Sciences).

The event made clear that sustainable development can hardly be achieved without social participation. It was critically emphasised that the perspectives of people with low incomes or disabilities are often neglected, particularly in the fields of energy and mobility. As an example, the issue of "invisible" energy poverty was discussed, which has a severe impact on those affected but is often underrepresented in political discussions.

There was agreement that the promotion of participation and social justice must be central elements of sustainable policies. This requires greater consideration of the different realities of life. There was a controversial discussion on how these goals can be realised in the face of tight public finances. The ‘Deutschlandticket’ was discussed as an example of the challenges of cost distribution and possible windfall effects.

All panellists emphasised their continued commitment to promoting and advancing these issues in the future.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all contributors and participants whose dedicated contributions have made this lecture series such a success. The lecture series is planned again for the winter semester 2026/27.