Publications

Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett explore large income and wealth differences, and how those differences reduce the chances that our societies will respond adequately to the environmental crisis. It details six reasons for why greater equality is essential to a world facing the consequences of overshoot and the climate crisis.

The World3 model was used by the authors of The Limits to Growth in 1972, and this paper sets to conduct a quantitative comparison between empirical data and the most recent version of World3 scenarios to see if we are still following the business as usual scenario.

This paper details five extraordinary turnarounds to address the environmental, ecological and socio-economic problems we face. It also explores the financial opportunities and costs in implementing the necessary actions.

Debamanyu Das, Shouvik Chakraborty and Jayati Ghosh investigate focus the possible adverse effects of well-meaning climate mitigation strategies, and consider how these adverse effects can themselves be mitigated.

Ken Webster proposes sharing the earth’s fruits and redistributing the proceeds to all. The paper asks, what and how to produce, and who gets the benefits?

This paper explores how to emerge from the multiple existential planetary emergencies, making three recommendations for transformative change. It also outlines why a living systems approach is needed to achieve global equity for a healthy planet.

In this paper, Jayati Ghosh, Shouvik Chakraborty, Anuar Sucar Diaz Ceballos and Adrina Ibnat Jamilee Adiba argue that recognising and addressing existing global inequalities is central to addressing the climate challenge.

This paper by Masse Lô proposes that the only way to prevail against the threats facing humankind is by living by the philosophy inspired by Zulu/Bantu term Ubuntu. That is, “a country becomes a country through other countries”.

This paper by Nafeez Ahmed explores new possibilities that could empower humanity to solve some of its most intractable problems: energy scarcity and volatility, the persistence of food insecurity and malnutrition, global poverty, and widening inequality.

Chandran Nair explores what transformations and trade-offs will be needed in a resource-constrained 21st century to reverse our supercharged self-disruptive trajectory.

Otto Scharmer explores how to transform the 21st-century economic system to become more just and sustainable. He argues for the need to create a learning infrastructure to make this transformation possible.

The authors argue that the mismanagement of these natural resources is the common cause of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution or health impacts. Furthermore, by identifying the root causes of these crises, together we can deliver policy responses that tackle them effectively.

Luana Schwarz, Jannes Breier, Jonathan Donges and Johan Rockström, as part of the Earth4All modelling team at PIK, explore the key dynamics for the realization of a global-scale transition to regenerative agriculture.

This is the second paper in a series of three on the concept of a universal basic dividend (UBD), authored by Ken Webster. This paper aims to provide clarity on the implications of grounding a UBD in ethical and moral considerations, as well as to explore how a UBD fits within current macroeconomics, especially fiscal and monetary systems.

This is the third paper in a series of three about a universal basic dividend (UBD). The authors explore the implementation and impact of cash transfer trials, addressing questions about spending patterns, personal and family decision-making, as well as their implications for inclusion and empowerment.

Katherine Trebeck explores the reception and resistance faced by the wellbeing economy agenda across a selection of countries. The paper highlights both the opportunities and challenges, with the aim of informing and refining current approaches and tactics for new economic models centred around wellbeing.

This paper highlights the overlooked inner dimension of system change, and offers systems thinkers the language to advocate for psychological, social and spiritual factors crucial to sustainable solutions.