Studied Chemistry and Physics (1965 Diploma, Hamburg University) and Biology (Ph.D. Freiburg University, 1969).

1969–1972: Senior Fellow, Protestant Research Institute, FEST Heidelberg.

1972–1975: Professor for Interdisciplinary Biology, University of Essen.

1975–1980: Founding President, University of Kassel.

1981–1984: Director at the UN Centre for Science and Technology for Development.

1984–1991: Director, Institute for European Environmental Policy, Bonn, London, Paris.

1991–2000: Founding President, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy.

1998–2005: Member of the Bundestag (German Parliament), SPD, for Stuttgart.

2000–2002: Chairman, Bundestag Study Commission on Economic Globalisation

2002–2004: Member, World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalisation

2002–2005 Chairman, Bundestag Environment Committee

2006–2008 Dean, Donald Bren School for Environmental Science and Management, UCSB, Santa Barbara, California, USA

2007– Co-Chair, International Panel on Sustainable Resource Use

2008– Co-Chair, China Council Task Force on Economic Instruments f. Environment

2008- free lance

Awards:

1978: Pfaff Prize for Education.

1989: Premio de Natura, shared with PM Gro Harlem Brundtland.

1991: Honorary Professor, Techn. University of Valparaiso, Chile.

1991: Member, Club of Rome

1996: Duke of Edinburgh Gold Medal of WWF International.

2000: Honorary Degree, Soka University, Japan.

2001: Takeda Award, shared with. F. Schmidt-Bleek.

2008: German Environment Prize.

2009: Federal Cross of Merit.

Selection of English Language Publications:

1983 New Frontiers in Technology Application: Integration of Emerging and Traditional Technologies (w/ M.S.Swaminathan and Aklilu Lemma). Dublin, Oxford: Tycooly.

1992 Ecological Tax Reform: Policy Proposal for Sustainable Development (w/ Jochen Jesinghaus) London: Zed Books.

1994 Earth Politics. London: Zed Books. Available also in 4 other languages.

1997 Factor Four. Doubling Wealth — Halving Resource Use. A Report to the Club of Rome (w/ Amory B. and L. Hunter Lovins), London: Earthscan. Available also in 11 other languages.

2005 Limits to Privatization – How to Avoid Too Much of A Good Thing. (w/ Oran Young and Matthias Finger) London, Earthscan

(2009, forthcoming) Factor Five (w/ Charlie Hargroves). London, Earthscan.