The Deep Transitions Project

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

We all know a worldwide transition to sustainability has to happen now. But how do we actually get this transition going in the fast pace we urgently need? To address this question, we started the Deep Transitions project at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex and the Utrecht University Centre for Global Challenges.

Deep Transitions is an action research project that consists of two phases. In the history phase, we aim to understand how the unsustainable systems of provision that our societies are built on emerged, such as food, mobility and energy. In the future phase, we strive to find out how these systems can be reoriented in a more sustainable direction.

So, let’s start with this concept of deep transitions. A deep transition is a transition that happens across multiple systems and changes society in a fundamental way. The First Deep Transition in human history started 250 years ago with the industrial revolution, and is still ongoing today. At first, the industrial revolution changed society in prosperous ways as it increased living standards for many. But over time, it also brought about present-day challenges of climate change, inequality, and biodiversity loss.

Through extensive historical analysis, our research team uncovered how the First Deep Transition contributed to building the unsustainable systems our societies depend on. Lessons from the past suggest how to transform these unsustainable systems and contribute to what we call a Second Deep Transition.

This is where the future phase of our project comes in. Current attempts to tackling global sustainability challenges are often superficial and focus on quick-fix solutions. However, because unsustainable structures are so deeply rooted in the way we behave, what we value, and how we travel and eat, we argue that a Second Deep Transition is needed instead. Just as the First Deep Transition, the Second Deep Transition would bring about a fundamental shift of many aspects of our social and economic lives. But this time, economic growth and prosperity are only part of what is to be achieved. Additionally, we need to build a decarbonized world, reach net-zero emissions and realize a more equal society.

The question remains: how will we accelerate this Second Deep Transition? First and foremost, tremendous long-term investments into system change will be needed, or what we refer to as Transformative Investments. This is why we have set up the Global Investors panel: a cohort of public and private investors. Our research team collaborates with this panel, to develop an investment manifesto. This manifesto guides investors towards sustainable investments that accelerate system change in the food, energy and mobility sectors.

This investment manifesto shall be the starting point to making Transformative Investments the new norm and thus contribute to transforming our world into one that is fit for future generations.

Would you like to learn more about the Deep Transitions project? Visit our website at www.deeptransitions.net and follow us on Twitter: @DTransitions2