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Collective Climate Intelligence

(‘Climate-wise’)

a pilot program for urban climate policy via the ‘collective human-artificial intelligence’

 

 

The climate adaptation / mitigation transition is urgent … and somehow, technology and material systems have to fit with social, economic, ecological, political and cultural systems.  Either we leave such combinations to chance – or – we look to the collective climatic intelligence which can put them together. This in short, is the mutual learning, co-creation and collaboration between a wider community of interest, with deeper layers of value, and further horizons of change and transformation.

So this is an invitation to the Collective-Climate-Intelligence program, starting with:

  • Climate-wise: interactive workshop, thurs 19th Feb 11-1300, in person at UoM –  register here 

This is a unique pilot for new methods of Foresight-CHAI (‘Collective Human-Artificial Intelligence’), and the potential of AI to enhance human synergies and strategic thinking. With this we can better explore cross-cutting challenges and opportunities:

  • Climate policy ‘value mapping’ – new value chains at the intersections of adaptation / resilience with mitigation / regenerative economy; (e.g. nature-based currencies);
  • Climate policy ‘reality mapping’ – a systematic approach to gaps and barriers, profiteering and hijack, moral hazard, ‘tragedy of commons’ and other dilemmas;  (e.g. rising climate scepticism / denial);  
  • Climate policy ‘pathway mapping’ – enhanced foresight / road-mapping for climate-wise transformation, beyond the normal policy-research scope (e.g. combined social-technical-economic-policy pathways).

This program works in an international collaboration with pilot cases in Manchester / Beijing / Kolkata, each applying the Foresight-CHAI methods to the socio-ecological agenda (Co-futuring with CHAI). This builds on recent projects in the Mind-Lab, including net-zero transitions, circular economy, natural flood management, peri-urban adaptation and ‘collective resilience intelligence’.

 

RESEARCH SCOPE & AGENDA

The concept of a cross cutting ‘intelligence’ calls not only for ‘more research’ –  but also new kinds of research.  This can be framed as inter/trans-disciplinary,  cognitive / emergent systems, action-oriented and co-produced, focused on systems transformation by collective intelligence … and now with the promise and perils of AI, the frontiers seem to be moving faster…

This Climate-wise program is the latest phase of a long running agenda started in 1994 with the City-Region 2020:  the Climate-Wise program from 2015 includes a wide range of projects (with acknowledgment to sponsors):

BACKGROUND

see sections of the Deeper city book  

 

SOME RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

Ran, Jing, Qionghui LI, Joe Ravetz, Tristram C. Hales, Adrian Healy, Zorica Nedovic-Budic, Omar Pȧrez Figueroa, Anna Taylor. Towards Hazard-Resilience Cities: Comparative Research on Resilience-related Policies and Local Practices in Five Cities Worldwide. Landsc. Archit. Front., 2024, 12(1): 26‒46 https://doi.org/10.15302/J-LAF-1-020091

Ravetz, J, (2023):  Powering the city at the speed of thought: towards a ‘collective urban-energy intelligence’.  In: Marcotullio, P.J, Sperling, J, Sarzynski, A, (Eds)  Urban Energy and Climate: Changing Conditions and Future Prospects. World Scientific Publishing Company, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811268120_0006  

Mohammed S, Cheryl Desha, Ashantha Goonetilleke, Joe Ravetz (2022). Narrative futures of a low carbon transition for hydrocarbon rentier states: Case of Qatar. Futures https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2022.103021

Ravetz, J, Neuvonen, A, Mäntysalo, R, (2020) The New Normative: Synergistic Scenario Planning for Carbon-Neutral Cities and Regions.  Regional Studies (special issue on regional futures). https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2020.1813881

Ravetz, J, (2020), Deeper City: collective intelligence and the pathways from smart to wise. NY, Routledge: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315765860  and www.manchester.ac.uk/synergistics/deeper-city-book/

The University of Manchester