Christian Lauk

Christian Lauk is a researcher at the Institute of Social Ecology (SEC) within the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). He holds a PhD in Social Ecology (2013, University of Klagenfurt) and a Master’s in Biology (2005, University of Vienna). His work bridges socio-ecological systems, carbon metabolism, and sustainability transitions, with a focus on bioenergy, land use, and urban food systems.

• Education
  • PhD in Social Ecology, University of Klagenfurt (2013)
  • Master in Biology, University of Vienna (2005)

Research interests center on nature-society interactions, particularly:

• Climate change mitigation via food and land use systems
• Socio-metabolic carbon stocks and flows
• Post-growth economic models
• Global biodiversity footprint analysis
• Integrated land use scenarios

His 15 most recent publications (2025–2021) explore:

• Food systems' impacts on planetary boundaries
• Historical agricultural emissions trends
• Material stocks as carbon pools
• Wildfire effects on forest carbon
• Regional self-sufficiency in EU agriculture
• Urban food scenarios for climate goals

He has supervised theses like "Der Futtermittelbedarf der globalen Aquakultur" (2021). Scientific projects include leading ZEAFOLU (Zero emissions from agriculture in Austria) and contributing to EU-funded initiatives on circular bioeconomy and land use. His work integrates biophysical modeling with social theory to address sustainable transitions.