Academic Citizens’ Assembly 2021
Leading question
June 4th 2021 Edition
What could or should the first 5 years of a genuine societal transition in Switzerland towards sustainability look like?
How it will work?
Participants will work in groups of around 7-9 people, led by a facilitator, and independently documented by an observer.
The driving question to be answered is “What could or should the first 5 years of a genuine societal transition in Switzerland towards sustainability look like?” focusing on the first few achievable steps, covering food (how to make food production and eating healthy, sustainable, inclusive, and resilient) and energy (how to eliminate fossil fuels, ensure inclusion and resilience, and minimize impact on ecosystems).
Four key processes of the societal transition will be covered:
engaging the whole society,
redefining central institutions,
supporting rapid innovation and adoption,
restricting incumbents from blocking the transition.
Scenario planning will be used, starting from 3 possible “worlds” in 2035, all prepared in advance by the scenario team. The purpose of these worlds is to serve as a sounding board for the solutions participants will develop - to become more robust, fit, strong and sound under different possible futures.
Groups will then vote on recommended actions, and results from all groups will be combined.
Finally, preliminary results will be discussed in a short plenary session, concluding the day.
Discover the scenarios
After much deliberation, our scenario team “created” three plausible, yet very different possible futures. They represent the worlds in which your team will develop policy recommendations for our food and energy systems.
THE COMPOUND
“Good morning applicants, it is eight oʼclock in the morning, the temperature outside is thirty eight degrees, and the air quality is level orange. Later today your decontamination period will be complete, and you will be evaluated for entry to Duraville 23. We look forward to welcoming you to your new home after you pass the decon assessments.”
TIPPING POINT DAY
Itʼs June 4th 2050, itʼs the twentieth anniversary of The Great Rethink, and we all hang around in excitement as the sun begins to set. Preparations for tonightʼs celebration have kept us busy all day long. We have all contributed something. Jill made her infamous spiked lemonade. David made his potato salad. Sylvie set up the space, ensuring for optimal people flow and bonfire glow.
We made sweets, we prepared vegetables to be grilled, we built the bonfire stacking it just so, to be lit when the sun sets. We sang songs and danced.
REMAINS
February 2, 2022 This lockdown Iʼve decided to start a journal. Maybe itʼll be more successful than my sour- dough bread experiment of 2020. I have to say this lockdown hits a bit differently since we had thought we were finally in the clear. Lots of countries are fully vaccinated, some almost had made it, when BAM, this new strain strikes. I mean, canʼt we catch a break? At least, this time we have plenty of toilet paper.
Learning and preparation
Here you’ll find a short introduction on food and energy transitions, with links to relevant scientific papers.
Please plan max 3h reading time.
If you have registered, you’ll also get a link for the preparatory online workshop on 28.05, 15:00-17:00
“Metabolising food is of course the basis of all life, the availability of food is the central driver of evolution, and finding food has been the main preoccupation of most of humanity throughout history.“
Energy is the most fundamental property in physics and is the basis for all human and non-human activity. Every ecosystem is shaped by energy availability, as is our society. The last 150 years of commoditized, abundant, and cheap coal, oil, and gas has disconnected most humans from this fundamental fact and has led to unprecedented, wasteful, and totally unsustainable energy use - leading to today’s climate crisis.