The general objective of Kudelma-network is to develop comprehensive approaches and to promote their use in analysing questions of sustainability science. In this way, we take part in the effort of mitigating, solving or even preventing sustainability challenges. It is also important to enhance understanding of the relationship between comprehensive thinking and differentiative thinking. The need for more comprehensive sustainability thinking is widely recognized e.g. in research, education, politics, governance and economy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of products, environmental impact assessment (EIA) for large scale construction projects and environmental management systems (EMS) for organisations are examples of present day sustainability procedures emphasizing comprehensivity.
The background of Kudelma is in the environmental sciences in the University of Helsinki since the 70’s. The name of the discipline hosting the development has seen many changes over the years: Environmental protection → The Science of Environmental protection → Environmental Science and -Policy (all of them Finnish majors). Now the home disciplines are Bachelor’s Programme in Environmental Science (a Finnish programme) and Master's programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability. Since 1.1.2018 our administrative home has been the Ecosystems and Environment research programme. Nevertheless, Kudelma welcomes everyone regardless of their discipline/s, as we see interdisciplinarity as a significant element in comprehensive sustainability thinking.
Kudelma’s activity is focused on two main themes: research on comprehensive approach and providing and developing opportunities for co-learning the comprehensive approach.