You are invited to submit an abstract for peer review to the 4th NZSSES International Conference, Transitions to Sustainability, to be held at the University of Auckland, New Zealand from 30 November to 3 December 2010. Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and are due 16 April 2010.

Paper Themes
Evolutions in Technology
For many, technology holds the key to future sustainability, but what is sustainable technology? Technology in itself provides major benefits but also presents substantial risk through its impact and consumption of resources from extraction to recycling to disposal. Papers are sought that can outline the evolution of systems, product use, consumer product development and services into ones that are sustainable.

Limits to Growth
While we have been able to overcome many limitations using technology, there is increasing recognition that there are limits to growth in populations, in resource use and in environmental degradation. However, there is a lack of understanding of those limits and how they are defined, and the risks that result from exceeding those limits. Papers are sought that will discuss the limits of human and environmental systems, current and future risks in exceeding those limits and how understanding limits can be used in shifting societies towards sustainability.

New Economics of Sustainability
For the last half-century at least, economic growth (usually defined in terms of GDP) has been seen as the cornerstone of any country's political-economic policies. What about alternatives such as the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)? At a time when it is becoming increasingly urgent that the extraction of resources and emissions of pollutants be reduced to sustainable levels as soon as possible, the desirability of economic growth is increasingly being questioned. Papers are sought that will examine alternative models and frameworks for a new economics of sustainability.

Beyond today's infrastructure
The infrastructure that serves our societies today was built to support increasing demand to meet our modern lifestyles. Our existing community paradigm including global markets, individual demands, centralisation of services, and immediate access to goods and information is no longer sustainable. How can we rethink our infrastructure so it becomes the foundation of a sustainable society? Papers are sought that examine how infrastructure can be overturned, renovated, or developed to shape the future.

Resilient Societies
In times of crisis it is individual and group behavior that governs our ability to adapt. How do we enable society to positively absorb change and rise to further challenges? How do we collectively embrace new lifestyles that move beyond our reliance on current infrastructure, technology and excess consumption? Papers are sought that will offer new approaches to societal decision making, better understanding of society’s interface between services, demands, and behaviour, and identify necessary social changes.

Embedding Sustainability
How will we make sustainability a part of our daily lives? How will we educate society to meet this challenge so that sustainability becomes common practice? Sustainable outcomes will be achieved more quickly once people grasp the need for change, understand the benefits and then convert this knowledge into new behavioural patterns. Papers are sought that will address how we embed sustainability into school curriculums, tertiary institutions, professional development and every day learning experiences.