our past events
Process complexity, Daoism and tackling the global crisis
Jean Boulton was building on her new book The Dao of Complexity will present a view of complexity which emphasises flow and ‘becoming’, paradox and patterns. She showed how process complexity has a strong resonance with Daoism as well as with perspectives coming from such diverse fields as social theory, brain science, and quantum gravity. She then discussed what this meant for practice, focusing in particular on the global crisis of global heating, growing inequality and geopolitical conflict. See www.embracingcomplexity.com
An ecosystem approach to community energy
This recently completed Masters by Research in Global Environmental Challenges was carried out between 2021 and 2024 at the Cabot Institute for the Environment and Faculty of Engineering of the University of Bristol.
The research looks at the relationships between community energy organisations and key components of the ecosystem in which it operates. It is based on literature review and more than 40 interviews with key informants from academia, electricity distribution network operators, local authorities, intermediary organisations and other energy commentators.
A model for understanding and strengthening the interactions between community energy and other actors in the energy sector is presented using the concept of a community energy ecosystem, with an initial mapping of its components and a preliminary assessment of their capacity.
The research includes recommendations for advancing the role of community energy and for further research, including on how to strengthen the proposed ecosystem model to address gaps in its evidence base, and to generate new analysis that can support the advancement of the community energy sector in the UK.
Why do we get ‘stuck’ and what can we do about it?
Our Fellow Trevor Hilder delivered this session.
At all levels, from the individual to the civilisational, we get “stuck” in patterns which hold us back from adapting to changing circumstances.
He examined this through the lens of the Moral Modalities Framework (MMF), a five-dimensional moral philosophy developed from the insights of management cybernetics, as pioneered by Professor Stafford Beer.
Trevor introduced MMF and illustrate this “stuckness” from a historical perspective, including cases where communities have managed to escape from this trap and evolve to a new level, rather than collapsing.
He hoped that MMF offers a thinking tool that we can apply to overcoming issues which are the special focus of the work of the Institute.
Catchments and Carbon
Distinguished Fellow Dr Lucian Gill discussed his book Catchments & Carbon.
Lucian’s extensive work in India, Africa and China gave him direct experience of addressing the causes and problems of climate management and led him to draw different conclusions to the conventional “Net Zero” policy processes put forward by governments.
This talk outlined Lucian’s view that the disruption of the water cycle is mainly responsible for the amplification of the carbon dioxide induced infra-red warming. The increasing desertification across Southern Europe, Amazonia and large parts of the planet is producing greater social and economic damage than the industrial emissions of carbon dioxide; these land changes require urgent action.
Lucian compared energy outputs achieved by various systems presently being deployed that prompt his questioning why there is no discussion allowed as to the energy path that is being implemented.
Carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)
In response to the urgent need to address sustainability and climate change, the European Union has introduced the CBAM—a policy designed to prevent carbon leakage and encourage global emission reductions. As African businesses navigate complex and volatile markets, CBAM presents both new challenges and opportunities. In an increasingly multipolar world, where power and influence are more widely distributed, how global policy is crafted takes on new relevance. This session will unpack the policy’s implications, particularly for South Africa and Kenya, and explore its broader impact on the continent. Key themes such as climate justice, power dynamics, and the future of trade relations beyond the EU will be addressed.
How can we walk alongside each other?
David Richmond explored a human dimension to systems thinking.
David Richmond (Arts in Development) invites us to reflect on the implications of systems thinking for social policy and practice.
He introduced Walks in Development and share some suggestions about how the simple act of walking can help us live more creative, collaborative and connected lives.
The Ethics of the Climate Crisis
Robin Attfield explains the moral reasons for urgent action based on current harms, threats to future generations, and to the species with which we share the planet. In compelling and student-friendly prose, he explores the science of climate change, biodiversity loss and air pollution, reasons for action, climate injustices, political implications of the crisis, and possible responses.
Learning and Sustainability in Dangerous Times
Stephen Sterling will offer a compelling and stimulating perspective on the critical issue of how learning and education can make a decisive difference to securing the future in an increasingly uncertain and threatened world. Together these essays offer a commentary on current debates on rethinking education in the light of multiple global crises and lay out the key elements of educational thinking and practice based on ecological and relational principles that offer a way forward.
Our relationship with material objects ~Entangled Things
In this talk Alison explored the concept of entanglement as a way of thinking about our relationship with material objects, especially in light of climate change and potential future environmental challenges. This builds on her forthcoming book Entangled Things: Objects in the Anthropocene which was published on 22nd August 2024. Themes such as shopaholics, hoarders, makers, and minimalists will be explored with some snippets of ethnographic case studies from the book.
Alison looked at our relationships with material objects in light of both personal and planetary ‘space’, and personal and historical time, from the space in our homes, storage spaces, landfill and oceans; to the times in our lives and the times in wider shared histories that things connect us to, not to mention our sense of time and our own place in the world. In so doing, she attempts to place the Anthropocene as a concept which on one hand takes away human agency, placing us in the context of immense geological epochs, whilst on the other hand pushes agency upon humans, blaming us for the extreme challenges of the current era and looking to us to solve those challenges. Faced with this conundrum, Alison explored how material things are instrumental in helping us to grasp our existential place in the world and weave a way through the complications of living in epochal times.
| Issues of urban and community agriculture-Walkability |
Our fellow Annika Lundkvist delivered a session focused on bringing issues of urban and community agriculture with learnings around walkability and how these issues are bought into the wheelhouse at Pedestrian Space. This was an engaging session where participants can share their experiences, concerns, challenges and insights on community gardening in their areas.
How holistic management is delivering positive agro-ecological outcomes globally
This session was delivered by Dr Henry Russell of Russell Regen, and explored how “Holistic Management” has been (and continues to be) developed and applied over the last seventy years to restore the world’s grasslands and improve the four ecosystem processes of water cycle, mineral cycle, biodiversity and plant energy capture in farm settings. Central to the success of this approach is the recognition that a farm (being part of Nature) is inherently complex and therefore mechanistic approaches to farming leads to unintended consequences, which we have seen since the ‘Green Revolution’ post-World War II. Instead, Holistic Management is a framework for decision making in complex environments with a crafted “Holistic Context” at its core as well as flexible financial and grazing plans, and a robust ecological outcome verification measurement approach to carefully observe how land is responding to different management approaches.
Systems Thinking, Hope, Meaning and Spirituality
As adaptation to climate change, food security and other issues becomes urgent, it’s clear that community-scale adaptation will be crucial. But where are the templates, processes, role models, and enabling networks?
The workshop is intended for community groups, individuals, and organisations involved with community resilience, including NGOs. One aim is to help community groups to see how they can engage with and benefit from statutory frameworks, such as the Local Resilience Forums. As a catalyst for our exploration, we’ll use Whatever Next: Risk Review – UK 2030, a new research report produced by Schumacher Institute and commissioned by Seeding our Future.
New Economy Transitions: Essential for systems transitions in food, water, energy
This talk will draw on recent work by the Schumacher Institute reviewing transition literature and practice. Transitions in the areas of food, water, energy and so on…will be presented as essential to reduce societies’ biophysical impacts and to bring in regenerative technologies and practice to help deliver sustainability goals. The concept of systemically linked Co-transitioning will be introduced, placing this is the wider landscape of the increasingly pressurised dominant model of development. The talk will identify how issues of economy, governance and law can act as enablers or blockers to the transitioning of key sectors of the economy.
The discussion will also how considering changes to new economy thinking and practice as ‘transitions’ might potentially contribute to a better understanding of the broad field of new economy. This will include implications for strategy to progress these agendas, particularly using systems approaches and communications.
Planet Local Summit
The summit in September brought many people from around the world to Bristol. This workshop gave some thoughts and impressions of the event and dig further into some questions and tensions that surfaced during ‘Planet Local’.
- Can you have a global movement for localism? What might that look like?
- What are the tensions between levels – local, regional, national, and international?
- Could there be synergies between these levels?
- What are the issues around supporting indigenous livelihoods and knowledge?
- How do these link to decolonization agendas?
Of particular interest from the institute’s point of view, we will consider some of the issues that overlap with our ‘Small is Disruptive’ conference earlier this year………..leading towards our follow-on events planned for next year.
Tuesday 14th November 2023
Exploring Collaborative Business Model Innovation as a Transformative Process
For business to play its role in delivering a rapid transition to a more equitable and sustainable economic system, it must go beyond ‘doing no harm’, and generate meaningful societal value at the core of the business model. Ed applies systems thinking methods to understand how collaboration is reorienting business model design towards sustainability in the energy transition.
The AI Landscape
This was an open discussion workshop to get a measure of what artificial intelligence (AI) might look like as it unfolds and what it means for systems thinking, sustainability and social justice.
AI has been much in the news recently with fears of apocalypse at one end and dismissal as a non-event at the other. The core issue is that AI is set to be pervasive. It will reach into every aspect of life in which humans produce data, seek data and use it for creative purposes – ethical and otherwise.
Can we apply the rich array of systems thinking methodologies to:
- Appreciate the impacts and responses this technology might produce for sustainability and social justice?
- Explore the way that AI might enhance our work?
- Get some idea of the reliability of AI’s output and what problems and issue will appear as knock-on effects?
Friday 16th June 2023
SMALL IS A POSITIVE DISRUPTION
Arnos Manor Hotel, Bristol, BS4 3HQ
This was an inspiring day learning about the work of Schumacher and many others and gaining ideas for what this means to us today. How do these ideas translate to our situation of inequality, ecological and resource crises?
The day was a mix of presentations and group discussion & networking opportunities
Sessions included:
- ‘Small is…..’ multiple ideas of smallness from a mixed panel to start the discussion
- Small is Disruptive – Schumacher as an early Systems Thinker
- Good Work thoughts for change in the 21st Century
Community Climate Action Toolkit Launch
Thursday 27th April 2023
Katie Dick and Richard Erskine launched their Community Climate Action Toolkit. There was a demonstration of the toolkit and workshops looking how it could be implemented within the community.
New Economy New Systems Book Launch
Friday 21st October 2022
Our launch of the new book New Economy New Systems was a great success. We had interesting discussions and some great presentations from the authors, all capped off with some amazing food!