As new technology plays a central role in the green transition, it is no longer sufficient for solutions simply to be better than before. They must also be sustainable in an absolute sense—taking into account all consequences.
This was the central message of the ceremonial lecture at the DTU Commemoration 2026, where Professor Michael Zwicky Hauschild took the audience into one of the most crucial questions in the sustainability debate: How do we measure sustainability on an absolute scale? For if sustainability is not assessed holistically and on the planet’s own terms, we risk making decisions that merely shift problems from one area to another.
Michael Zwicky Hauschild presented a method for measuring sustainable development within planetary boundaries. The method assesses whether technological solutions are absolutely sustainable—a concept he has himself helped to develop and put on the agenda. This approach compels us to look beyond percentage improvements and efficiency gains and instead ask whether, overall, we remain within the limits of the planet.
Hauschild is internationally recognised as a pioneer in quantitative sustainability assessment and life cycle assessment. He is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering and co-founder of the DTU Centre for Absolute Sustainability, where research focuses on methods and tools that support evidence-based decision-making in business, public authorities and society.
The lecture left the audience with a clear perspective: Future technologies must not only be innovative and well-intentioned – they must be sustainable when the full balance sheet is drawn up.
