Demos HelsinkiSelf-made futures

8 June 2010

Outi KuittinenDemos Helsinkiwww.demos.fi/english

Demos HelsinkiFuture-oriented, people-centric think tank studying systemic change and interpreting it into everyday life

Founded in 2005 by Aleksi Neuvonen and Roope Mokka because something was missing, academic research and journalism were not in enough

Politically independent, project-funded

Legal form is NGO

8 reasearchers

We work with companies, NGOs and Finnish ministries, the parliament, municipalities and other organisations of the public sector that are willing to widen their perspective and renew themselves.

CO2= FUTURE

1. The future is low carbon

2. The primary goal of a (low carbon) society is happiness

3. A happy society is co-created; actively made by us all

On

nellisu

uspoliittin

en m

anifesti

20

Well-being

Manifesto for Politics of Happiness (2009, WWF, available in English)

Democracy and Participation

The Voice of the Individual – Welfare State in the Age of the Communities (2006, Sitra, summary in English)

Future cities

City 2.0 – Towards a Social Silicon Valley(Greater Helsinki Vision 2050 contest, 2007, in English)

Low-carbon society

Peloton (2009-2011, Sitra and Finnish companies, article in English)

It is not about technologyIt is not about politics

It is about how we

conceive and produce

technology and politics

How we concieve

Future orientation

How we concieve

Backcasting

Future orientation

How we concieve

20102040 2030 20202050CO2 -90% CO2 -30%

How we concieve

Future orientation

Backcasting

“We-Can” aikakausi

People orientation

How we concieve

50-70's I need welfare state80-90's I want consumer society2000's I can knowledge-based society2010's We can peer-to-peer society

“We-Can” aikakausi

People orientation

15

We have to put restrictions and regulations on consumption

No! Do you know what followed when they started restricting things in Soviet union, Germany, North Korea and Burma?

People?

Empowered people

Needed

Institutions?

Empowering institutions

Needed

Structures for we canStructures for co-creation

Needed

EXPERIMENTwith employees and their companies

Towards a new, energy-efficient economy

[Peloton]‣The main group in a road cycle race. Riders ride close to each other in order

to save energy. The reduction can be as much as 40 %‣Peloton in Finnish means ‘fearless’

2010climate challenge

Pragmatist’s perspective: How to reach low carbon society

low carbonsociety

emission limits, price for carbon, funding...

2010climate challenge

Pragmatist’s perspective: How to reach low carbon society

low carbonsociety

emission limits, price for carbon, funding...

2010climate challenge

participation, social innovations,changes in lifestyle

Pragmatist’s perspective: How to reach low carbon society

low carbonsociety

emission limits, price for carbon, funding...

2010climate challenge

participation, social innovations,changes in lifestyle

regulation accepted by citizens

Pragmatist’s perspective: How to reach low carbon society

low carbonsociety

emission limits, price for carbon, funding...

2010climate challenge

participation, social innovations,changes in lifestyle

regulation accepted by citizens

MUNICIPALITIES,

PEOPLE, WORK PLACESPragmatist’s perspective: How to reach low carbon society

low carbonsociety

emission limits, price for carbon, funding...

2010climate challenge

participation, social innovations,changes in lifestyle

regulation accepted by citizens

INTERNATIONAL

POLITICS

MUNICIPALITIES,

PEOPLE, WORK PLACESPragmatist’s perspective: How to reach low carbon society

90 % of Finns think that climate change is a fact

85 % consider it a serious threat

80 % are ready to take personal action

Source: e2, Onpa ilmoja pidellyt

Traffic16 %

Other33 %

Industry51 %

? ??

? ??

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Human perspective: Where do emissions come from?

Still, changing people's behaviour and reducing energy consumption has proved to be more difficult than the surveys on attitudes or technical possibilities would imply.

Well-known Finnish intervention success story has been the improvement of national health

(especially cardiovascular diseases).

The North Karelia Project is its prime case.

Lets see how this was done in health:

Not only better health care services or visible campaigns but also engaging communities at the point of delivery:

‣ nurses at precautionary health care‣ cafeterias in schools and work places‣ food industry‣ local NGOs‣ peer opinion leaders of local communities

The North Karelia Project in the 70‘s

in the 21st century

Now let’s do that in energy.

in the 21st century

Consumer based emissions in FinlandSource: Syke/envimat Ari Nissinen, 2009

Human perspective: Which decisions are important?

Consumer based emissions in FinlandSource: Syke/envimat Ari Nissinen, 2009

Human perspective: Which decisions are important?

Human perspective: Which decisions are important?

Human perspective: Which decisions are important?

Human perspective: Who can affect important decisions?

Human perspective: Who can affect important decisions?

Gatekeepers are not only top-down decision makers but also people at everyday communication situations. They offer information on new alternatives and persuasive arguments during the decision making process.

Customer Service Assistants

Lunch cafeteria Staff

Managers of Everyday

Lifestyle Media

Work Communities

relevant professionalsmediators of public and peer opinion

both

Gatekeepers of behaviour change, examples:

peer development

‣ intensive, 2 day workshops for each sector‣ competitors around the same table‣ insight into one’s role in solving the energy and

climate question

peer development

‣ From understanding to action: tens of ideas on products and services

‣ From ideas to plans

results 2009

Fazer Food Services: ‣ Climate lunch in restaurants in autumn 2010‣ B-to-B marketing

Lahden Ateria, public catering service in Lahti: ‣ Carbon reduction target -10%‣ Foothold in Lahti Green City initiative

results 2009

Rautakesko, hardware store company:‣ Wider selection of energy efficient products‣ New service in development

MLL, Mannerheim League for Child welfare: ‣ new national peer group morel and material

Peloton idea

‣ Open idea contest for the public

‣ Over 200 ideas‣ From techy gadgets to

comprehensive services

peloton 2010-2011

‣ Banks, insurance companies, travel services, domestic science teachers, food journalists, company communications, HR, urban planning, home builders, house managers, housing services

‣ Research on gatekeepers and the benefits, possibilities and hinders of the model

‣ 2 Low Carbon Innovation camps inspired by Social Innovation Camp concept

MOre info on peloton

Outi Kuittinen, Demos Helsinki, +358 50 326 5582, outi.kuittinen@demos.fi Vesa-Matti Lahti, Sitra, +358 9 6189 9446, vesa-matti.lahti@sitra.fi

www.peloton.mewww.demos.fi