Paul Appel introduces himself
Paul Appel joined corsus in April 2024. He is a physicist and supports the team primarily in the CLIF – Climate Impacts of Food project.
What did you do before you joined corsus?
After studying physics in Berlin, Bologna and Barcelona, I started my doctoral studies in Vienna and am currently completing my PhD in high-dimensional quantum information theory alongside my work at corsus. My motivation has always been to understand the world better through physics. This is also what fascinates me about my doctoral thesis: although quantum information theory often seems counterintuitive, it has fundamental implications for our description of the world. Understanding the world is ultimately what allows us to judge it and make informed decisions.
corsus advises on sustainability. What do you associate with sustainability?
For me, sustainability is an essential part of the solution in the fight against the impending climate catastrophe. This is undoubtedly the biggest problem facing humanity in the 21st century. It requires a fundamental change in thinking, not only at an individual level, but also at a societal level, in order to mitigate the effects of the climate catastrophe. Sustainable thinking and living support this change. Only by moving away from the prevailing consumerism towards a self-sustaining economy can we mitigate the climate catastrophe in the long term. This requires systemic changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Conscious consumption by individuals alone is not enough to prevent the climate catastrophe. However, the rethinking of individuals leads to a constant change in social thinking and thus to a change in social decision-making.
Is there a topic that is particularly close to your heart?
I am convinced that it is important to bring an understanding of the world into the world. Many problems could be made tangible through a better understanding of the underlying concepts and principles. Without this understanding, we can only drift in the sea of opinions and not make informed decisions, either as individuals or as a society. Sustainability analysis offers an opportunity to significantly improve this understanding so that we can make informed decisions as individuals and as a society to tackle the impending climate catastrophe.
What are you currently working on at corsus?
Together with two colleagues, I am developing a software tool for the CLIF-Climate Impact of Food project, which corsus is carrying out together with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the TMG think tank, funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). The idea behind this is that the tool will help users to better understand the environmental impact of food. This information should help them to make more sustainable decisions.