European Universities 2030: Building Knowledge Ecosystems for Europe’s Strategic Capacity in an Age of Polycrisis

Session

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

5 Jun 2026, 13:00

ONLINE

Description

climate narratives; cultural imaginaries; ecological belonging; sustainability transitions; environmental storytelling; wellbeing frameworks; socio-ecological systems thinking; polycrisis narratives; socio-ecological resilience; futures literacy; transformation pathways

16. ICT as a driver of sustainable business models: the moderating role of AI in retail.

Antonio Marín García (Facultat d'Economia, Universitat de València), Prof. Mariia Bordian

05/06/2026, 13:00

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

Background. The retail sector is being transformed by the rapid development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the growing demand for sustainable business models. In this context, Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation (SOSI) has emerged as an approach integrating innovation and sustainability in service activities [1].
Aim. This study analyses the influence of ICT...

1. Making environmental sustainability issues newsworthy through advocacy journalism

Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska (University of Opole)

05/06/2026, 13:15

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

Environmental communicators today are under pressure to overcome issue displacement and a sense of fatigue with sustainability-related messages. This presentation reviews selected scholarship that explores environmental discourses produced by media, popularisers and activists to identify effective discursive strategies and dominant patterns used in environmental advocacy. It also reports on a...

26. Evidence Advisory Bodies for Coastal and Marine Environmental Governance: tensions between administrative traditions and governance innovation in Mediterranean regions

Joan Enguer (University of Valencia)

05/06/2026, 13:30

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

In multilevel democracies, regional authorities have increasingly engaged in establishing science advisory systems for environmental governance through institutional arrangements. Concurrently, pressures in coastal regions have spurred the emergence of analogous bodies dedicated to the land–sea interface. While a growing body of scholarship has examined science advice, far less attention has...

4. Roblox as a digital space supporting student wellbeing

Aleksandra Joanna Słonka (University of Opole)

05/06/2026, 13:45

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

Roblox is currently one of the world’s largest multiplayer gaming platforms, bringing together millions of active users and creating complex digital environments in which young people interact, cooperate and build social relationships. Although online games are often perceived primarily as a source of distraction and a threat to education, this presentation explores their potential from a...

19. Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation, value co-creation and business results: Evidence from Spain

Mariia Bordian (University of Valencia)

05/06/2026, 14:00

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

In an age of polycrisis, the interaction between sustainability and innovation has become a central challenge for organisations, governments, and society. In environmentally conscious markets, service firms are expected not only to remain competitive but also to contribute to social and environmental well-being. Therefore, this study examines the role of value co-creation with external...

29. From Carbon Neutral to Nature Positive Higher Education Institutions

Ulla Helimo

05/06/2026, 14:15

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

We examine HEIs can move from carbon neutrality towards contributing to the global Nature Positive goal. While carbon footprinting has become widespread, carbon neutrality claims often lack consistency and do not fully follow international standards. Biodiversity footprinting is an emerging field, and many HEIs are still developing approaches to measuring and addressing their impacts on...

23. Hybrid Governance Against Labor Exploitation in Agri-Food Systems: Evidence from the NoCap Initiative in Italy

Claudio Mirabella (Università degli Studi di Palermo)

05/06/2026, 14:30

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

Labor exploitation in agri-food supply chains persists across Mediterranean Europe as a structural governance failure, not a criminal exception. In Italy, the caporalato system — illicit labor intermediation relying on migrant workers in precarious legal conditions — endures despite legislative prohibition, sustained by labor shortages, retailer price pressures, and dysfunctional public...

51. Affective Tensions in AI Use in Higher Education

Christopher Jarvis (University of Jyväskylä)

05/06/2026, 14:45

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

Attention is increasingly paid to the role of ‘AI tools’ in educational practice. As institutional and pedagogical discussions about the use of ‘AI tools’ expand to involve more and different kinds of participants, expressions of affective experience are often filtered out. This leaves behind a discourse that is institutionally legible in the form of guidelines and best practices, but bears...

35. Socio-ecological systems approach to food security in Ukraine in a time of polycrisis

Ms Oksana Salamin (Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies of Lviv)

05/06/2026, 15:00

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

The global crisis and the interdependence between countries in Europe in ensuring food security are intensifying, taking into account the transformations in the socio-economic and ecological system. Climate change and the impact of war have significantly affected food security. The standard of living has decreased and the environment has deteriorated due to ongoing military aggression.
The...

53. Between Information Saturation and Climate Experience: Citizen Narratives and Public Understanding of Climate Change in Spain

Ana Serra Perales (Universitat de València), Mrs Lorena Cano Orón (Universitat de València)

05/06/2026, 15:15

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

Oral presentation

This study examines how citizens access, interpret, and evaluate climate change (CC) information in a media environment shaped by information overload, misinformation, and fragmented news consumption. The aim was to identify the information sources, trust criteria, and climate narratives that influence public understanding of CC. The research employed a qualitative approach based on a citizen...