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Eco-wise theme

how to live in the Symbio-polis of the future??

 

Climate-proofing transitions and adaptations are not only economic and technical, but social, political, cultural, psychological – so how to bring all these parts together?  How to mobilize all human resources for inclusive, job-creating, participative pathways?   Few things are simple – cities for instance are taking new shapes and meanings, alongside economic development.  If we talk about the ‘Net-zero pathways’ / ‘just transition’ / ‘Green New Deal’, are these mainly technical problems to be fixed – or – questioning the roots of neo-liberal capitalism? 

We see the way forward as a ‘collective urban-ecological intelligence’ – a mutual communication, learning & co-production, between a wider community of interest, with deeper layers of value, and further horizons of change & transformation. 

Such questions are explored, with mappings and graphics, in the Deeper City book: – also in the Greater Manchester examples here – – 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/10.1142/13194

This theme includes: – 

There are also strong links to parallel programs

  • Circular economy, as in major project for the UN Industrial Development Organization – Circular economy Ukraine
  • the Eco-war-3.0 agenda on physical / societal tipping points / conflicts
  • – the Climate-wise agenda on the ‘big-bad-world’ effects of hijack & weaponization of climate action

Core partner: the Peri-cene project (www.peri-cene.net) , with University of  Manchester, KTH Stockholm, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and a Policy Lab of 21 cities with ICLEI and UN-Habitat.

For some eco-urban background see the Deeper City – 6-2 – Eco-urban-III

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Background notes

Net-zero 3.0 / ‘just transition’ / Green New Deal 3.0

The Net-Zero Carbon transition calls for more than a problem-fix – to make it work, technology change has to somehow fit with economic, social, political and cultural change.  Either we leave all these combinations to chance, or, we look for some kind of collective net-zero intelligence which can put them together.

This program of open meetings / conversations explores around this topic with leading practitioners and analysts, each active on making transitions work on the ground.  The result of this pilot 18 month program aims at a ‘prospectus’ for future funding (goal-led or responsive) – so that we can work through these issues in more depth.

One starting point is a systematic mapping of the many syndromes, gaps, barriers and systems dysfunctions, such as…

  • social syndromes: distrust, blame, displacement, climate scepticism
  • technical syndromes: uncertain performance, unseen side-effects & causal chains
  • economic syndromes: investment hurdles, futurity problems, innovation valleys, skills gaps
  • environmental syndromes: game-changing climate impacts & adaptation pressures
  • policy syndromes: short termist, fragmented, elitist & compromised political systems
  • cultural syndromes: myths & archetypes of capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy

 

The overall aim of the program is to realize a more effective Net-Zero 3.0 / Green New Deal 3.0 – to achieve a Low-Zero Carbon transition which is job-creating, inclusive, innovative, participative etc – which carries broad support – and which works… This Conversation explores 3 main questions for the collective green intelligence, i.e. the ‘3.0’ dimension –

  • What would an collective net-zero intelligence look like on the ground? (local, regional, global south or north)
  • Which pathways could mobilize this potential of a collective net-zero intelligence?
  • What are the priorities for action, policy, investment, social innovation etc?

 

As of early 2023 we are open to ideas on funding, to help enlarge and follow through this vital program.  Further details in the program working papers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The University of Manchester