Great transition

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The Great Transition study was published in August 2002 by the Global Scenario Group (GSG). Founded in 1995 by the Tellus Institute and the Stockholm Environment Institute , the GSG commissioned a group of international researchers to forecast how the world would develop in the twenty-first century. The essay describes the possibility of a globalized society full of peace, freedom, solidarity, prosperity and intact ecosystems , beyond the danger of slipping into barbarism at the current crossroads of humanity . The fundamental question “How do we want to live?” Must be answered jointly by all of humanity.

background

The research was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation , the Nippon Foundation and the United Nations Environment Program . The title of the German edition is Great Transition - upheavals and transitions on the way to a planetary society . The editors are the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE) GmbH and the Hessian State Foundation of the Heinrich Böll Foundation eV (HGDÖ). On April 3, 2003 the study was presented by Paul Raskin in Frankfurt.

content

introduction

Our grandparents who worked and dreamed for us.
To our grandchildren around the world, for whom we work and dream.

As Karl Popper once put it, the future is always present, promise, promise and temptation at the same time. The global upheavals and transitions have long since begun. The planetary society will take shape in the next few decades , according to the introduction. It is further stated: How this figure will look is completely uncertain. Current trends only determine the direction of departure, not the destination of the journey. The world can develop in completely different ways, depending on how ecological conflicts are resolved. The picture of a bleak future with impoverished people, destroyed cultures and an exploited nature easily comes to mind ... But it doesn't have to be that bad. Humanity is characterized by freedom of choice and the ability to act with foresight. Against all appearances, the transition to a better, richer future with more solidarity among people and an intact nature is quite possible.

Preface

The authors are convinced that the first wave of sustainability, which has made progress since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, is not enough to stop and reverse alarming global developments. A second wave must go beyond the makeshift solutions and reforms that have so far been able to alleviate the symptoms of unsustainable economic activity, but do not remedy the actual disease. The study calls for a new paradigm of sustainability, questions the viability and desirability of conventional values, economic structures and social systems and instead offers the positive vision of a civilized form of globalization that would benefit all people.
This could only become a reality if an understanding of the nature and extent of the challenge developed in key areas of global society and the opportunity to put new items on the agenda was seized. The initiative for a renewed, “second” sustainability paradigm would have to come primarily from four actors: international organizations such as the United Nations , transnational companies and associations of committed citizens in grassroots movements, civil society organizations such as the
United Nations . B. Non-governmental organizations or spiritual communities. The fourth force is less tangible, but it makes the difference . What is meant is the vigilant public that is aware of the need for changes and new values ​​and that pays attention to a better quality of life , human solidarity and ecological sustainability .

Where are we standing?

In 1998 David Fromkin identified three major macro-transformations in the cultural history of mankind .

  • Transition from the Stone Age to early high cultures approx. 9000 BC to 1000 AD (duration approx. 10,000 years).
  • Transition from early advanced cultures to modern times over the past 1,000 years.
  • Transition from modernity to the planetary phase (duration approx. 100 years).

According to the authors, we are currently in the middle of the third great transition, which is known as the planetary phase of civilization .
The authors identify the following features of the four historical epochs of humanity:

Stone age Early civilizations Modern Planetary phase
Corporate form Tribe / village City-state / Kingdom Nation state World government
Economic system Hunters and collectors Agriculture and animal husbandry industrial production globalization
communication Speak Write To press Internet

The claim that the planetary phase is taking shape today is by no means intended to deny the economic expansion and mutual obligations of earlier epochs. On the contrary, globalization would be inconceivable without the growing domination of nature and the ever increasing claim to power of individual nations. But in essence, the dawn of a planetary phase means that the interventions in the natural environment and the intertwining of human concerns have qualitatively reached a new level.

In view of the earth's limited resources, the global population and the global economy will soon have to reach the limits of growth . The complexity and expansion of society, which has been increasing for hundreds of thousands of years, had to span the entire earth at some point. This sometime is now.

Branches

The study assumes that the transition to planetary civilization has begun, but is not yet complete, and it will very much depend on which characteristics / ramifications it receives. In the critical years that lie ahead of us - the authors claim - it will be decided whether we will do something against the social, political and ecological dangers and move closer to the hope of a culturally rich, all-inclusive, sustainable world culture or whether it will be a nightmare the future is characterized by impoverishment, destruction and misery. In view of the speed of the planetary transition, there is - in the opinion of the authors - an urgent need for action before some options are finally mutually exclusive - irreversible climate change, the impasse of unsustainable technologies, the irreversible loss of cultural and biological diversity.

Where are we going?

Future in the plural

The future of the earth is blocked from predictions due to three types of uncertainty: ignorance, chance and free will. In view of this indeterminacy, how can we think about the future in a meaningful way? The scenario technique gives us a means to play through various long-term developments. In the theater, the scenario summarizes the action on the stage. Development scenarios are also stories with a logical structure and a narrative about a possible future. Global scenarios - snapshots of key features at different points in time - describe the flow of events that lead to such future conditions. They rely both on science - the understanding of historical contexts, current conditions, and physical and social processes - as well as on the imagination to think of alternative developments. We cannot know what will be, but we can plausibly and vividly describe what could be.

Global scenarios

What future could form out of the turbulence that is currently haunting our planet? To think about it, we have to reduce the wealth of possibilities to a few exemplary narrative threads and concentrate on the most important ramifications. The study therefore considers the following three approaches:

  • Conventional worlds
  • Decay and barbarism
  • The great transitions

The first variant is characterized by the continuation of the existing, the second is based on a fundamental, but undesirable social change and the third on an equally fundamental but desirable social change .
For each of the three scenarios we define two variants and thus get a total of six scenarios.
By dividing the conventional worlds into market forces and political reforms , we put the finger on a point that is central to the contemporary debate. In the market economy scenario, open competition on the world market drives development. Social and ecological aspects are considered secondary. In contrast, the Political Reforms scenario assumes comprehensive, coordinated government measures to combat poverty and preserve the natural environment.

The pessimistic scenario of decay and barbarism is also divided into two variants, total collapse and the world as a fortress . The collapse occurs after a spiraling spiral of conflicts and crises that eventually spiral out of control and bury all institutions. The world as a fortress would be the authoritarian response to the impending collapse, in which a privileged minority in a kind of global apartheid protects itself against the impoverished majority through a network of isolated enclaves.
The two variants of the Great Transitions are called Eco-Communalism and New Sustainability Paradigm . The figure opposite gives an overview of the six scenarios, with the arrows indicating the behavior of selected variables over time.

The driving forces

The starting point for all scenarios, regardless of the assumed further course of history, is a series of forces and tendencies that are currently determining and driving the system.

Demographics

The population is growing, the population density is increasing, and the average age is also shifting. Quite a few forecasts assume that the world population will increase by 50 percent by 2050 . Then 3 billion more people than at present would crowd the earth, mostly in developing countries. If the trend towards urbanization continues, 4 billion new citizens will move to the metropolitan areas and put infrastructure, the environment and social peace to the test ...

economy

Goods, financial and labor markets are growing together, the global economy has no isolated markets. The advances in communication technology and international treaties to dismantle trade barriers provided the initial spark for globalization. Last but not least, huge transnational corporations also undermine the sovereign rights of individual states. National governments find it increasingly difficult to keep tax revenues and government spending under control, as the development of an unleashed global economy is beyond their control ...

The social question

The earth is currently marked by increasing injustice and persistent poverty. Some live in abundance, while for a great many people who depend on global economic growth, life becomes more and more hopeless. The economic inequality between the northern and southern hemispheres is growing and the income gap within the individual countries is also widening. At the same time, the transition to a pure market economy is undermining traditional safety nets and the decline of certain values ​​is uprooting many people ...

Culture

Information technology and electronic media encourage consumerism in many places. This development is both a result and an engine of economic globalization. But the irony of history is that the progress on the way to the world market challenges nationalist and religious counter-movements. Not only fundamentalism but also globalization call democratic institutions into question (Barber 2001) ...

technology

Technical progress will continue to have a major impact on production and working methods as well as leisure activities. Above all, the exponentially growing computing power ensures ever new waves of innovation. Biotechnology will transform agriculture and medicine, while creating huge ethical and environmental problems. Ever smaller devices and the advance into the nano range will revolutionize the treatment of diseases, materials science, computer technology and much more. Great Transition would put technological development at the service of human fulfillment and sustainability.

environment

Global environmental degradation is also characteristic of the current situation. International concerns are growing about the effects of human activities on the atmosphere, soil and water balance, the accumulation of toxic substances, the extinction of species and the destruction of ecosystems. The fact that individual states cannot decouple themselves from global ecological developments changes the basis of geopolitics and global governance . At the center of the New Sustainability Paradigm would be the understanding that humanity as part of the web of life is responsible for the sustainability of the natural environment.

Governance

There is currently a trend towards democratization and decentralization. At the individual level, more emphasis is placed on rights, such as the rights of women, the rights of indigenous groups, and human rights in general. In the private sector, the trend is reflected in flat hierarchies and decentralized decision-making. Many a business entity, such as networks connected via the Internet or non-governmental organizations, do without management structures at all ...

The dream of a world of market forces is the impulse behind the currently dominant development paradigm. It is tacitly assumed by influential international institutions, politicians and theorists and is often presented as the only sensible, yes, the only possible approach. But whoever relies on this structure of thought in view of the complex problems that lie ahead of us, descends into a kind of ivory tower. The transition to a sustainable global future requires different policies, different behaviors and different values. “Business-as-usual” is a utopian fantasy - a new social vision is a pragmatic necessity.

Where do we want to go

The question of the future - where is it all going? - cannot be answered clearly, but rather raises new worrying questions. If one continues the tendencies of the present into the next decades, one obtains a contradicting, fragile representation according to the present study. The future holds a thousand possibilities, including the impoverishment of large parts of the population and ecological impoverishment. But people are travelers, not lemmings, and can therefore question the destination of their journey - where do we want to go? The ability to have visions and to act intentionally gives us a freedom that can spur us on just as much as the past pushes us in a certain direction.

Goals for a sustainable world

Four great ideals for a future world society emerged from the conflicts of the 20th century: peace , freedom , prosperity and the preservation of nature . We have the chance to achieve these ideal goals in the 21st century through a profound structural change. The study sees the fulfillment of basic needs as the central challenge for development: food, water and health, education, employment and participation. Economically prosperous and fair societies ensure that their members can read and write, attend elementary and secondary schools and learn a trade. Hunger and disadvantage could be a thing of the past by 2050, and the right to a healthy, fulfilling life could be granted to everyone by then - in practice, not just in theory.

change of direction

Sustainability has been formulated as a goal in numerous agreements on human rights , poverty and environmental protection . But the noble words were not followed by decisive action, and the commitment of the politicians left much to be desired. The vision of sustainability remains a virtual reality and is only superimposed on the real urge for global markets. The ambitious goals describe an ethical commitment to a sustainable world. They are the accompanying music, seductive but unworldly. Libretto and choreography must also be added, i.e. concrete goals with which the good intentions can become politically effective. The Political Reforms scenario illustrates how this could be done. In essence, it describes how the political will develops to initiate a change of direction and to promote sustainability with comprehensive measures.

Political reforms

This chapter starts in 1972 with the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and continues this development, from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 to further reform efforts that were foreseeable when the study was carried out in 2002.

Limits to Political Reform

The market forces scenario would literally and figuratively erode its own water, because it endangers its existence through overexploitation of nature and the tendency to bloody disputes. Political reforms aim for sustainability by placing social and ecological "shackles" on world markets. But is that enough? The scenario has a good and a bad side. The good side: You can achieve a lot without immediately assuming a revolution or using a deus ex machina. The bad side is divided into two aspects. First, it will be very difficult to influence the current momentum with reforms. The purely technical problems alone will be a major hurdle. Political reforms ultimately update the values, the lifestyle and the economic system of the market economy and aim to counteract this with a clever policy on the use of resources, renewable raw materials, environmental protection and poverty reduction. But the pace required, as well as the extent of the technical and social adjustments, is daunting. The reform path is like trying to walk up a descending escalator. The second negative aspect is even more disillusioning. The plausibility of the scenario is based on an assumption: the political will is strong enough. In order to go this way, governments must commit themselves massively and wholeheartedly to sustainability goals in a way that has never been seen before. This commitment must be expressed in efficient and comprehensive economic, social and institutional initiatives. No such political will can currently be seen anywhere.

How do we want to live?

Political reforms may therefore prove to be insufficient. It will be difficult to slow down the tanker of current globalization with technical and political modifications, claim the authors. In addition to these pragmatic concerns about the feasibility of reforms, there are also normative objections: Would this path even be desirable? It leads to an overpopulated, high-tech global trading center in which at least fewer people are starving and the environment is given at least a grace period. But would this world be one in which everyone can live as they want? Does it give individuals and societies room to develop? Does she give us a choice? In the opinion of the authors, sustainable does not in itself mean desirable.

The Political Reforms scenario obeys necessity. Social and ecological distortions are to be minimized, but the quality of life is not an issue. In addition to these reforms, the New Sustainability raises an old question that not only Socrates asked a long time ago: This is the path of the great transitions, the path of the desirable. The new paradigm revises the concept of progress. For a long time, history was shaped by people's struggle for survival under adverse conditions. The long way from the hand ax to our technical means resulted in ever larger surpluses. Up until now, progress has meant fighting shortages. This material problem could actually have been resolved by now.
The new paradigm assumes that there is a historical chance of a world without material need, a world in which all people could enjoy an acceptable standard of living. In this world it no longer makes sense to hoard things for the sake of survival - we would pile them up beyond what is necessary for survival. The vision of a better life can turn towards a fulfillment beyond material needs - quality of life , solidarity and concern for our planet. With John Maynard Keynes (1930) we can dream of a time when the end is more important to us than the means and we prefer the good to the useful ...

Look into the distant future

This chapter describes a future in which people have overcome material hardship and have organized coexistence on planet earth in a sustainable manner. An excerpt: ... It is of course not paradise, after all there are still people. Conflict, dissatisfaction, malice and tragedy are not eliminated. But in the 21st century the historical opportunity was used and the development was directed towards a much more sustainable and free world. World society is made up of countless small communities. Some like to experiment in the cultural field, participate intensively in political discussion or technical innovation. Others take the leisurely pace of traditional cultures, direct democracy, and have renounced progress. Some combine thoughtfulness, craftsmanship and high aesthetic standards to create a kind of "accomplished simplicity", a reminiscence of the earlier Zen art. There are countless special and sub-forms. It is precisely this plurality that is highly valued, as it offers every individual a home and enriches social life immensely ...

How do we get there?

How can we navigate the planetary transition towards a sustainable and desirable world society? The market forces approach could fail on the cliffs of ecological and social crises. It harbors the danger of sinking into the barbarism of a world as a fortress . Political reforms could develop a steering effect towards sustainability through systematic technological advances and poverty reduction, but for the authors it is quite conceivable that the dynamics of global economic growth will make such a policy of small steps ad absurdum. The question also arises as to how new visions and politically strong ideas should emerge in view of the prevailing consumerism. The change must start deeper in order to guarantee a safe passage through the turbulent times of the looming great global crisis.

Strategies

The approach of the Great Transitions to Sustainability relies equally on market forces and political reforms . The market forces ensure prosperity, the reforms for the necessary technological restructuring and a somewhat fairer distribution of wealth. But the Great Transitions go beyond both approaches. Changes induced by the market economy and adjustments prescribed by the state are not sufficient. Big transitions add a third thing: new values . Only the turn to an alternative global vision opens up viable possibilities to solve environmental problems and to promote a more peaceful coexistence of people. The new development paradigm would include a different lifestyle and more social solidarity ...

The actors in the change of direction

In the opinion of the authors, global visions have to put up with one question: Who should, who can change the world? Central players in market forces are global corporations, promoting governments, and spending consumers. Political reforms also rely on the private sector and consumer spending, but also on state guidelines in order to make the economy environmentally and socially compatible. In the Great Transitions , the most important impulses for new values ​​come from civil society and committed citizens . In fact, all social actors contribute their part to the development of the world and are in turn shaped by this development. You can hardly separate a performance from the actors. The chances for Great Transition depend on the adaptability of all institutions, on governments as well as on the relationship between employers and employees, on the economy, on education, on the media and the social order. In the opinion of the authors, however, three new actors are increasingly coming to the fore: international organizations, transnational corporations and non-governmental organizations. The fourth really important factor is rather amorphous: public awareness, the values ​​generally accepted, especially in youth culture.
At the same time, other actors - organized crime, networks of terrorists and lobbyists - are positioning themselves and threatening to steal the show from the official actors ...

Dimensions of transition

Great Transition will change the character of civilization itself in response to planetary challenges, the authors suggest. History has long known transitions at certain critical and decisive moments. This includes the rise of the first cities thousands of years ago and the dawn of modernity 1,000 years ago. The whole culture changes in the shifting of the structures of a society and its relation to nature. The transition of the entire social order comprises a series of smaller transitions, which affect values ​​and knowledge, population density and social ties, economy and forms of rule, as well as technology and the environment (Speth 1992). These aspects mutually reinforce each other and accelerate the transformation.

Values ​​and knowledge

People decide on the basis of prevailing values ​​what they consider to be good, true and beautiful. Values ​​determine what people strive for, how people want to live. Values ​​are formed culturally and reflect the norms and longings of a society. Depending on the prevailing values, a society can be found somewhere between the poles of aggression and tolerance, individualism and solidarity as well as materialism and striving for meaning. Self-centeredness and consumerism are the driving forces behind the unsustainable trends of the conventional worlds, but they are by no means innate or inevitable. The plausibility of Great Transition stands or falls with the possibility that the further development of the world will be accompanied by other values ​​that are still emerging ...

Demography and Social Change

People, forms of settlement and social ties are subject to rapid, profound change. The growing population density, the sprawling cities, the continued change in the legal system and globalization shape demographic and social changes. Depending on the scenario, they have different effects. They are also critical to the Great Transition endeavor.

Demographic transition and the reinvention of cities

Population growth is slowing. There are currently more than 6 billion people on earth. This number is growing by 1.3 percent annually, which is currently around 80 million additional earth citizens per year. The increase will be restricted practically exclusively to the developing countries. Achieving stabilization here as quickly as possible is the goal and means of the Great Transition. The goal is lower birth and death rates for a better quality of life. Then not so many children would die and the survivors would have better chances of growth and development. Their mothers would die less often in childbirth and would have better prospects of education, work and income. The fathers would be healthier, the grandparents would live longer. At the same time, the oldest institution in the world - the family - would have to redefine itself because the heads per household are sinking and the parents are getting older. As a means, decreased population growth simplifies the transition. Fewer people means less pressure on the environment, not least because there would be fewer poor people. The change in values ​​and social politics in the wake of the Great Transition could reduce the population growth by 1 billion people by 2050. On the one hand, this would mean meeting the need for contraceptives and, on the other hand, creating an environment in which people later start a family and, above all, want to have fewer children. There is a close connection between birth control and education, especially for girls, and the chance of a job. In order to curb population growth effectively, the school system in developing countries must improve. The number of city dwellers has increased disproportionately compared to the total population. Today almost half of humanity lives in metropolitan areas. If this trend continues, up to 75 percent - in absolute numbers: 4 billion people - will populate urban centers by 2050.

The fight for rights

The idea of human rights has asserted itself to an astonishing extent over the past quarter century. The rights of children, members of indigenous peoples and nature are now widely recognized. They are rights that protect civilians in civil wars and military conflicts between states, forbid genocide and torture, forbid hunger as a means of warfare or oppression, for women who are raped or at risk of abuse, for protection, forbid child labor, for endangered species from extinction and the Affirming diversity in nature as well as in society. These rights are expressed in international agreements, and new institutions are responsible for enforcing them. But they are still very far from being really general. Great Transition wants to accelerate their recognition and institutionalize the inalienable rights of humans and nature. It is necessary to create a public awareness of these rights and thereby strengthen them. A second task is to spread freedom and democracy ...

Poverty and justice

In addition to a modern, dynamic, highly formalized world economy, there are still local markets, subsistence farming and other informal forms of economy. ... Great Transition wants a world in which people are no longer humiliated and the extreme differences between rich and poor disappear. Then the 20th century's promise of universal freedom, respect, and a decent livelihood in the 21st century becomes possible. When new values ​​and new priorities help close the gap between the included and the excluded, the door to peace and solidarity opens. The fight against poverty and for greater justice affects and accelerates the process of transition.

Economy and Governance

Great Transition requires a reorganization of human institutions, that is, of human relationships and the structures that determine behavior in a society. The institutional changes would trigger the evolution of values, knowledge and way of life and then in turn influenced by these. The crucial point is the nature of the economy and forms of governance.

The outline of a new economy

The economic transition describes the conversion to a production, distribution and decision-making system that harmonizes with justice, sustainability and human fulfillment. It would balance different goals: the end of human deprivation, the reduction of injustice, an ecologically sustainable production and continued innovation. This undoubtedly requires political instruments such as environmental taxes , financial support for the socially disadvantaged and “green” bookkeeping. Such control instruments should, however, be an expression of a profound reorientation of economic structures. The economy must not be an end in itself, but must serve people and nature. The turnaround would be reflected in other behaviors and change the prevailing practice of companies, state bodies and international institutions ...

New institutions

A transition to new forms of governance requires institutions that drive the New Sustainability Paradigm through partnership between various stakeholders and political bodies at local, national and global levels. Certain structures will always be based on habits, but the development of new forms of participation will complement and also challenge the conventional system of government. In the new paradigm, the state is embedded in civil society, the nation in planetary society. The market is a social institution that should not only provide society with wealth, but also with ecological sustainability and justice. Each person is at the center of a network of social relationships, he is not a monad ...

Technology and the environment

The technological transition would significantly reduce human interventions in nature. The three pillars are increased efficiency, renewable raw materials and industrial ecology. Increasing efficiency means radically reducing the effort required per unit produced. Renewable raw materials follow the principle of capital preservation - you only live from the interest, i.e. what nature can continuously supplement. Solar energy instead of fossil fuels, sustainable agriculture instead of soil degradation and the protection of ecosystems instead of their extinction. Industrial ecology stands for the reduction of waste through recycling, reuse, repair and processing as well as an extension of the product lifespan. There are several key factors.

energy

It is a challenge to develop affordable and reliable energy sources without violating the principle of sustainability. The solution lies in a turnaround that is as social as it is ecological. The social energy transition gives those billions of people access to modern fuels who still have to fall back on traditional biomass. The ecological energy transition is reducing demand through falling consumption in industrialized countries, high levels of utilization and the use of renewable energies.

Food and soil

All people should be satisfied without the soil, biodiversity and ecosystems being destroyed. Great successes have been achieved in increasing crop yields over the past century. But the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has contaminated the soil and groundwater, and yet nearly 1 billion people are malnourished. Forests and other ecosystems are disappearing due to the need for arable land and pastures due to population growth, growing purchasing power and higher meat consumption.

water

Water sustainability means securing fresh water supplies for human needs, economic activity and nature. Only different solutions adapted to local conditions will be able to satisfy the growing demand with correspondingly larger delivery quantities.

The story of the future

This chapter describes a possible future in the year 2068. Mandela City, 2068 A century ago, Apollo 8 sent the first images of our blue planet to earth, a beautiful shining pearl in the darkness of the universe. This image from space gave a vivid impression of the fragility and preciousness of our home and dug itself deep into human imagination. However, it did not reveal the changes that were secretly looming that would lift human history and the earth itself to a new level.

Forms of transition

This chapter shows how the different scenarios overlap. It is initially assumed that free market forces will prevail until around 2015 and then the scenario of political reforms will prevail in the shadow of which the Great Transition will take place around 2040.

Receptions

The publicist Christa Wichterich, attac , agrees with Raskin on almost all points, but also expressed clear criticism. The question of how the Great Transition is to be realized is only very inadequately dealt with in the book. In addition, attac assesses the power structures at all levels of society to be much more influential and formative than the authors of "Great Transition". Political will to act sustainably is not enough; Politics, economics and democracy have to be fundamentally rethought and re-ethicalized: “We need other development paradigms, especially for an economic system that is not shaped by profit.”
Some of the participants in a workshop on the topic doubted that a new one Sustainability paradigm would be needed. Klaudia Martini, Head of Corporate Communications, Adam Opel AG , Rüsselsheim, explained that a change in values ​​and a change in consumer behavior can already be felt. Volker Hauff , Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, Berlin, replaced the conference motto “Rethink sustainability” with the call to “think sustainability in concrete terms”. He went on to say: “Sustainability is not a target, but a compass. The problem is how to implement it. ”Michael Hölz, Global Head Public Affairs & Sustainability, Deutsche Bank , Frankfurt, also emphasized the need to act sustainably .
Using Switzerland as an example, Gertrude Hirsch-Hadorn ( ETH Zurich ) made it clear that sustainability research needs more time than is allowed by science policy. She also emphasized the need to link the perspective of action with that of research and therefore always research sustainability processes with a focus on implementation. Reinhard Junker, Head of Department for Health, Biosciences and Sustainability at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) also agreed with this point of view and referred to the variety of projects funded in this area in Germany.
Professor Dr. Werner F. Schulz from the University of Hohenheim writes: "Great Transition" is a groundbreaking book that sheds new light on a sustainable future. The essay is referred to as introductory literature.
Juliane Pohl from Progress Center.de wrote in 2011: The Great Transition is the vision of a just, free and ecologically healthy world. In the search for answers about how people want to live in the future, a change in values ​​takes place and the world changes for the better. The vision was published in 2002 by the Global Scenario Group.
Geo World writes: The authors of "Great Transition" identified four actors and forces driving the change: intergovernmental organizations, transnational corporations, organizations and action groups of civil society as well as a change in the broad public awareness towards new cultural orientations. It is up to people and societies to make decisions for or against one of the possible futures described.
Josh Ryan Collins writes in new economics in 2009 : This report argues that nothing less than a Great Transition to a New Economy is necessary, desirable, and possible. Business as usual failed. But prime ministers, finance ministers and central bank governors are still trying to convince us that this is not the case. The Great Transition article is fully featured in the Encyclopedia of Earth.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Great Transition ( Memento from May 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Editors: ISOE , HGDÖ and SEI ; accessed in July 2014
  2. GSG , accessed in July 2014
  3. page 9, chapter Thanks
  4. ISOE web ; accessed in July 2014
  5. HGDÖ web ; accessed in July 2014
  6. a b Eco World article , accessed July 2014
  7. page 5 - Dedication
  8. Page 11 - Chapter: Foreword to the original edition.
  9. Page 12 - Chapter: Foreword to the original edition
  10. page 14, chapter: Where are we?
  11. page 15, chapter: Where are we?
  12. page 18, chapter: Where are we?
  13. page 20, chapter: Where are we?
  14. page 23, chapter: Where are we?
  15. page 25, chapter: Where are we going?
  16. a b page 26, chapter: Where are we going?
  17. page 28, chapter: Where are we going?
  18. page 21, chapter: Where are we going?
  19. a b page 31, chapter: Where are we going?
  20. page 32, chapter: Where are we going?
  21. a b page 33, chapter: Where are we going?
  22. page 40, chapter: Where are we going?
  23. Page 41, chapter: Where do we want to go?
  24. a b page 42, chapter: Where do we want to go?
  25. Pages 42–48, Chapter: Where do we want to go?
  26. Page 50, chapter: Where do we want to go?
  27. page 51, chapter: Where do we want to go?
  28. Pages 52–55, Chapter: Where do we want to go?
  29. Page 57, Chapter: How do we get there?
  30. Page 60, Chapter: How do we get there?
  31. Page 64, Chapter: How do we get there?
  32. Page 65, Chapter: How do we get there?
  33. Page 67, Chapter: How do we get there?
  34. page 69, chapter: How do we get there?
  35. Page 70, Chapter: How do we get there?
  36. Page 71, Chapter: How do we get there?
  37. Page 72, Chapter: How do we get there?
  38. Page 73, Chapter: How do we get there?
  39. Page 74, Chapter: How do we get there?
  40. Page 75, Chapter: How do we get there?
  41. Page 76, Chapter: How do we get there?
  42. Page 77, Chapter: How do we get there?
  43. Pages 81–98, Chapter: The History of the Future?
  44. Pages 99-103, Chapter: Forms of transition
  45. a b c Press release ISOE April 4, 2003; Accessed August 2014
  46. Lecture Uni Hohenheim ( Memento of the original from August 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Professor Dr. Werner F. Schulz, Institute for Business Administration for Social-Ecological Research, University of Hohenheim; accessed in August 2014  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.uni-hohenheim.de
  47. ^ Progress center.de Juliane Pohl, July 19, 2011; accessed in August 2014
  48. neweconomics.org ( Memento of the original dated August 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Josh Ryan Collins; 2009; accessed in August 2014 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.neweconomics.org
  49. ^ Encyclopedia of Earth - Great Transition, accessed August 2014