Climate and Sustainability - UK Budget

2024

🍁 2024’s perspectives on the UK Autumn Statement from the lens of climate change and sustainability.

▪@Accountancy Age

·    The UK government’s Autumn Budget 2024 has placed a strong emphasis on sustainability, with significant funds directed towards green investment initiatives and energy efficiency.  

·     A significant boost of £120m (US$155m) has been allocated to the Green Industries Growth Accelerator (GIGA) fund, which aims to support the development of supply chains for new technologies, including offshore wind and carbon capture and storage.

🔗 https://www.accountancyage.com/2024/10/31/budget-snapshot-the-green-agenda-that-looks-beyond-the-tax-breaks/

▪Business Green

·     Government plans £4.5bn green manufacturing boost from 2025

🔗 https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4148100/government-plans-gbp-5bn-green-manufacturing-boost-2025

▪Climate Bonds Initiative

·     The correct risk/return profile will help unlock finance for climate projects within the UK, overcoming the current mismatch between financing needs and investor appetite. It would be further enhanced if the National Wealth Fund were to work in concert with other UK bodies such as BII and UK Export Finance.

·     The budget included pledges for dedicated resilience investment, including GBP2.4bn in flood defences and GBP400m for nature-based resilience. This direct public funding is crucial and such activities could also be included in the green gilt framework to signal to the market how green gilts can finance resilience.  

🔗 https://www.climatebonds.net/2024/11/uk-budget-what-does-it-mean-sustainable-finance

▪IIGCC

·     Capital budgets will be set for five years and extended at every two-year spending review, promising greater policy certainty and clarity. 

·    New funding set out for green technology in 2025-2026 

·    Reinstatement of climate as a priority for the Bank of England

🔗 https://www.iigcc.org/our-work

▪CETEX – LSE

·   There are some positive steps in opening investment for clean growth, but the budget’s day-to-day tax and spending decisions do not reflect the need for bold, holistic action on climate.

🔗 https://www.lse.ac.uk/cetex/publications/wins-losses-and-draws-a-climate-review-of-the-uks-autumn-2024-budget/

▪Carbon Brief

·  The budget confirms the introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) from 2027, to support emissions cuts in sectors such as steel and cement, and ensure that the UK remains competitive when trading these products globally. 

🔗 https://www.carbonbrief.org/uk-autumn-budget-2024-key-climate-and-energy-announcements/

▪The Construction Index Ltd.

·     Changes to fiscal rules were announced with £100bn to be spent on capital projects over the next five years.

·     Commitment given to the East West Rail scheme (Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge) and the Trans Pennine Upgrade to improve rail journeys between York, Leeds and Manchester, key road projects impacted.

🔗 https://www.building.co.uk/news/autumn-budget-2024-key-measures-for-construction-at-a-glance/5132492.article

🔗https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/more-road-projects-axed-to-save-13bn

▪Green Alliance

·     The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will see its capital budget rise by up to 25 per cent in real terms over the next five years.

·     As well as the extra £100 billion in capital investment, the chancellor confirmed the setting up of GB Energy and the National Wealth Fund to channel some of this money into net zero projects.

·     There was also confirmation of funding for new, multi-year investments in carbon capture and storage (CCS), and funding will be provided for 11 new green hydrogen projects across England, Scotland and Wales.

·     A crucial £200 million per year of new capital will be invested over the next two years in tree planting and peatland restoration. Nature’s recovery depends on changes to the 70 per cent of UK land that is farmed, and the food system will emerge in the 2030s as the single largest source of emissions.

 🔗 https://green-alliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Did-the-2024-budget-deliver-for-the-environment.pdf

▪UKGBC

·      The £2.4 billion towards flood resilience is welcome, but this must include upgrading our existing buildings and future-proofing new ones to protect communities across the country from the impacts of flooding.

·     The Department for Transport’s overall budget was reduced by 2.5 per cent. Transport can be an engine for clean growth with the right investment and incentives, through stronger public transport links at a local, regional and national levels. It opens access to opportunities in education, work and leisure, while active travel can boost the nation’s health and save money for the NHS.

·     Investing in bus services is the quickest route to getting more people using public transport so the £1 billion allocated for buses is a welcome move. While an additional £100 million investment in cycling and walking infrastructure in 2025-26 is positive, there is a worrying long term trend where the cost of lower carbon public transport increases faster than the cost of driving a petrol or diesel car.

·     The budget recognised electric vehicles (EVs) and their supply chain as a key sector for the industrial strategy due to be published in the spring. 

·     Reflecting the importance of the government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero saw the biggest increase of any government department in its capital spending budget. It is set to grow 22 per cent annually over the next two years. The chancellor also confirmed a series of investments in low carbon energy and industrial projects. This included confirmation of CCS cluster funding, amounting to £3.9 billion in 2025-26, paid by the government (ie all taxpayers, not just energy bill payers). This budget has laid the groundwork for the major investment needed in clean power generation, electricity transmission, carbon capture and green hydrogen.

 ·     In its budget settlement for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the government committed to £3.4 billion for the Warm Homes Plan between the financial years 2024-25 and 2027-28.

🔗 https://ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-responds-to-the-autumn-budget-2025/

▪CIOB

·     In addition to taxation decisions that will impact industry, there were several investment measures announced targeted at constructing, re-building and maintaining the built environment across a range of construction sub-sectors. However the Budget was not without its drawbacks for construction.

🔗 https://www.ciob.org/blog/uk-autumn-budget-2024-key-announcements-for-the-built-environment

▪CIEEM

·     £58 million across two years for research and innovation in support of climate resilience and net zero goals from Defra budget.

·     Infrastructure and housing development, which includes boosting nature recovery, is allocated £70 million in 2025-26. This includes £14 million for the Nature Restoration Fund to offset the environmental impact of development, with a developer contribution, and £13 million to expand Protected Sites Strategies in priority areas.

·     Local government too get an increase in funding with an increase up to £14.3 billion, including £1.3 billion in new grant funding. This is a 3.2% increase for local government. The national governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all getting more money as well (£47.7 billion, £21 billion and £18.2 billion respectively).

🔗 https://cieem.net/whats-in-the-autumn-budget-for-nature/

Opportunities

·     Cross Industry detailed plans required on transitioning faster to a netzero, biodiversity positive future.

·     Climate tech in the built environment sector needs direct investment to aid this transition.

·     A move beyond promises of spending and private capital expenditure to better connect policy infrastructure.

·     Clearer risk/return profile for climate investments.

 #summary #budget #climatefinance #climatetechnology

2023 Review

🍁 Interesting #perspectives on the 2023 UK #autumnstatement from the lens of climate change and sustainability.

▪ @Business Green
·     4.5bn for strategic manufacturing sectors (investment in automotive sector, aerospace, life sciences) including 960m Investment in ‘green industries growth accelerator’ suggested by 2030, will come online in 2025 – used for carbon capture, electricity networks, hydrogen, nuclear, offshore wind.
·     Key Investment zones named for focus on green industries and advanced manufacturing.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eyvmP63K

▪Carbon Brief
·     Grid constrains considered a major challenge for decarbonising the energy sector and holding back the expansion of industry – reform to grid connection to cut waiting times and connect sooner announced. Battery strategy yet to be detailed.
·     Full expensing of capital allowances announced as part of facilitating strategy towards a low carbon industry which tends to be capital intensive.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eB5g9RCH

▪The Construction Index Ltd
·     Funding for planning backlogs in LPA’s announced with a consultation on streamlining the planning system.
·     No update to the National Infrastructure Strategy which will influence signing off on new investments in skills and capacity.
·     Incentivisation of investment to retrofit still needed with a national retrofit strategy.
·     Investment in apprenticeships for sectors such as engineering announced but unclear on others that industry traditionally relies on.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eVvebXp3

▪Green Alliance
·     Energy efficiency and insulation requires mention and details.
·     Limited mentions of nature and biodiversity markets -still required.
·     Not much on climate resilience and adaptation beyond flood defence schemes.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eUsjii5S
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Potential Opportunities:
·     Businesses still need clear plans against the global climate picture– value of ecological impact on health and well-being as part of business resilience.
·     Detailed Strategy that considers sector cross overs, integrated thinking and full systems scale impact such as on supply chain, local communities and climate skills gap important - 'hashtag#design' a key component to find efficiencies/links and build partnerships to make the most of what is outlined.

Check out the statement in full.
#summary

Linked Impact: Making Connections

📢 Pleased to be at the United Nations head offices during last week's #ClimateActionWeek reflecting on our mutually dependent systems and connected impact. #UNSDG’s

✨Insight revealed the need to develop a culture of belonging and care across our environments (places & spaces), businesses, policies and education. It showcased the importance of cross-discipline, hybrid mindsets in responding to current challenges and planning for future needs. It highlighted that designing for belonging matters not just in how we experience our physical and digital places/spaces through designable interactions but also in how we create enabling environments across policies and business systems to set inclusive outcomes reflective of our current challenges and long-term aims.

✨Importantly it showcased that #ClimateAction is inclusive of social, economic, cultural and environmental impact and understanding this is integral in making connections across key areas that share relevance for governments, businesses and third sectors.

✨As a linked recap - Examples of how to achieve this in practice were discussed during last months #LFA2024 event across the need for:

💥Value-based Mindsets - Inclusive understanding of what is valuable

💥Systems & Levers - systems thinking to understand competing priorities

💥Multi-cultural conscious design - As reflective of today's societies

💥Needs Centric Community approaches - Lived Experience

Short extract from the discussion blog: ‘The conversation opened into discussion on design asking, can we design in a way that allows for different relationships towards space to manifest? Designing for the well-being of the community and the land beyond just the house, considering how best to facilitate space for life, for the elements that make for healthy living.

The need to begin from a place of care and humility was highlighted where there is much yet left to learn around what it means to care for the commons and understand that land is a common and the idea of land ownership is designed and therefore able to be re-designed. To also note that there is something that is specific to our cities which have taken us away from the natural world in such a deep way. Where there was closeness to the land, there was also care for the land and an awareness of the impact of humans on it. This led to the conversation on value where those who remain connected to land and nature, having experienced its degradation may then consciously design, differently and with varying considerations on what is most valuable. Therefore understanding value was an important point raised.

Working with communities who have been disempowered for so long and leading with community interest stories in setting outcomes was suggested. As was understanding climate risk as an important enabler of what needs to be valued such as in riverside developments – there is now an acceptance that nature-based mitigation strategies are needed. The control of the market and the reliance on low costs, GDP centred indicators based around a vision of growth was discussed as potential barriers. Is this vision so powerful or is it a matter of awakening?

Terminologies and buzz words were discussed such as ‘Human centred design’ and what that may leave out i.e. design for all life in an eco-system. The ongoing feelings of disempowerment felt by designers was mentioned with many undertaking further education in systems thinking for the age of transition to try and understand where the challenges lie and how to re-design them. The role of the architect and their agency was noted where if we are truly moving towards a community driven relationship to land and the built environment then it needs to be less hierarchical and more humility oriented. In which case, the role for the architect needs to shift which was considered exciting. The future then doesn’t mean that the skills necessarily change and the architectural tools or planning/designing built on spatial analysis remain important, what changes is how those tools are used to facilitate design needs.’

For those interested check out the full blog by Shared Ground - London  & Slides here .

#LCAW2024 #inclusion #designforbelonging #businessimpact #mindsets #systems #services #places #spaces #finance

In conversation: 'Reconnections with Land: Towards Creating A Sense of Belonging To Ourselves, Nature and Our systems'.

📢 ✨ Delighted to have hosted a powerful discussion on launch day of this years London Festival of Architecture in collaboration with 'Shared Ground – London' Vidya Nanthakumar & Ambre Le Van Chau. The discussion centred on an often overlooked and under researched area from perspectives that were not only culturally diverse but also professionally varied!

✨Such a pleasure to bring together Nabil Al-Kinani 'Privatise the Mandem' Anna Pagani UCL and Bushra Mohamed MSOMA Architects in conversation on 'Reconnections with Land: Towards Creating A Sense of Belonging To Ourselves, Nature and Our systems'.

✨Where, through the lens of community participation, systems thinking and cultural typologies - we discussed todays urgency around lands relationship to home, health and identity weaving in the role of funders/clients, designers, developers and other decision-makers to create/enhance places and spaces set around long term and holistic value-based outcomes with well-being at heart.

✨Lots to reflect on and much more to share. Stay tuned and do check out the ongoing work of our brilliant speakers. 👍
🔗https://lnkd.in/e5-ysDKx - Raise the Roof, Building for Change Exhibition on at the RIBA
🔗 https://lnkd.in/e75HsSuE - Housing, street and health: a new systemic research framework
🔗 https://nabilalkinani.com/ - Privatise the Mandem - Book for sale!

For more on designing belonging in places & spaces - click here.

hashtag#LFA2024 hashtag#design hashtag#belonging hashtag#land hashtag#climateimpact hashtag#systems hashtag#communityparticipation hashtag#codesign hashtag#health hashtag#wellbeing

Interconnected Learnings

#insights post

*2024 started with a bang* and what better day to share than on International Womens Day! #IWD2024

Last few months have presented great opportunities for reflection and interconnected learnings across design, policy, research, advisory towards ‘better’ processes, places, spaces and products with well-being at heart. Sharing some of these below:

💥Fantastic to be invited to provide early-stage insight to the Global Design Forum and help shape the London Design Festival 2024. 

Discussed the need to see demonstrable examples of Regenerative thinking through; design process + delivery + product as part of wider systemic intersections from a global selection of voices. Discussed the value of building post event networks to offer meaningful connections with audience, speakers and GDF over time.

💥Excellent to see my mentee Sharon Thandi’s ‘Tiny Spaces - Huge Impact, The Pocket Park  Scheme’ be well-received and her efforts recognised. Delivered as part of the Future of London Leadership Mentoring Programme within the theme of ‘Retrofit - Making the Most’ to a cross-sector industry audience.

Her work shed light on the ecological health and climate need for connection to nature giving meaningful consideration on the overarching issue of maintenance, funding and providing a call to action around funding models, maintenance systems and community co-participation.

💥Lovely to be invited to review the WSA Masters of Architecture Value Unit projects from concept to development. The proposals are set around a collaborative and asset-based ethos - valuing what already exists in a place to build on existing strengths rather seek ‘problems to solve’. 

From the WSA Value 2023-24 Briefing Pack. ‘This is our sixth Value Unit - the 11th year of Community Gateway - committing to what Adrienne Maree Brown terms an ‘inch wide mile deep’ strategy. Value Unit theses respond to questions, challenges and opportunities raised by partners and prevailing cultural, economic and political contexts. We build on each other’s work, creating what one resident terms a ‘growing catalogue of community knowledge.’ Our ethos is collaborative and ‘asset-based’ – valuing what already exists in a place. We identify and build on

existing strengths, rather than seeking ‘problems’ to ‘’solve.’

💥Great to be invited/attend a series of intersecting discussions on how to visualise cities, enable collaboration for a circular economy, design for climate needs and showcase what ‘good’ design could look like. Interwoven ideas:

✨On Understanding Place - Place must be understood as a place issue with deeper layers and cultural influences, rather than a traffic problem, a crime problem, a poverty problem etc. It’s not regenerative if it’s not based in place and culture.

✨On Data Accessibility - Data collection methods should also become visualisation methods by which to bring people along and make visible, that which is invisible for everyone to learn together.

✨On Questioning Data - Showing complexities and contradictions of place using maps can provide greater context to a situation.

✨On Understanding Complexities - Need for reconnection, systems thinking and complexity approaches in alignment with communities.

✨On Prevention and world view integration - Co-create with the people who have lived in their eco-systems for thousands of years - go deeper than the symptoms. Shift from a solutioneering mindset to one that sees the world through its manifesting potential, reflect on our scaffolding and world view.

✨On Funding - Good Ideas take time and discussion - plan for this as part of funding. These then need to be quickly tested and iterated - plan for this as part of funding. The design needs to consider its afterlife and reconnecting back into the wider system - plan for this as part of funding. 

✨On The Present - Our agency to make a difference is not anywhere but in the present.

✨On Design - Design to support the community, design to support life - always consider any major decision through three questions: Does it serve myself, does it serve my community, does it serve all life.

Visualising Cities - Darjan Hill, Joost Grootens, Michael Brenner, Adam Paul Susaneck

Enabling Collaboration For A Circular Economy (Learning from case studies)- SI Network, Dilyana Mihaylova

Radical Desirability - How To Design For Climate Needs - IDEO, Bryan Walker, Coe Letta Stafford, Natalia Vasquez,

Design As A Regenerative Practice & Design For A Better World - Towards humanity-centred design (Humanity - that which impacts all life). RCA Design for Good, Don Norman Sean Carney Nick De Leon, Dr. Daniel Christian Wahl, Dr Richard Atkinson, Dr Delfina Fantini van Ditmar

💥Happy to be building collaborative projects & proposals that put these insights into practice - more on these soon: 

• Shaping the eco-system of good processes & behaviours -

• Understanding today’s Idea of ‘Work’ - Towards An Interdisciplinary Skills Based Approach

• Revealing Places/Spaces - Towards Belonging, Healing and Nature-Led Integration 

• Unravelling Connections - Towards Integrating and Revealing Global Lived-Experience

Sharing Reflections and Lessons Learned

‘At its simplest, reflection is about careful thought. It provides an opportunity to […] sort through observations and experiences to create meaning. This ‘meaning’ becomes learning, which can then inform future mindsets and actions. For leaders, this “meaning making” is crucial to their ongoing growth and development.’ Link

In a year full of opportunities, interesting conversations and meaningful action, pausing to reflect has helped identify useful patterns and recommendations to take forward in the new year within the context of our current crisis. These trends sit across core areas of impact: Knowledge Building, Research, Design and Advisory that together can lead to necessary transformation at scale.

💥Knowledge Building - Career Development – Leadership Qualities

In discussions with professionals across sectors, certain themes consistently emerged. Key issues revolved around navigating organisational culture and methods for showcasing leadership qualities with evidence.

Trends highlighted a deep need to feel empowered, be trusted to think/deliver and be supported in upskilling for real and fast approaching climate and sustainability thinking/risks. This was combined with a desire to work for organisations with clear purpose and cross-organisational working styles. In a time of quiet quitting, high labour costs/wage bills, attrition rate impacts, having a skilled, talented and engaged workforce was considered incredibly important.

Ideas for improvement/redesign could look at:

• Inclusive and transparent hiring methods (conscious of personal bias and intended company culture)

• Creating open and transparent cultures – existing audit, upskilling in systems impact and building networks

• Using eco-system working methods with interlinked opportunity areas (collaborative departmental working)

• Learning from technology/data (conscious of data bias) and lived experience at earlier stages

• Re-imagining governance and line-management systems to be reflective of cyclical challenges and non-linear approaches

💥Research Approaches – Finding the Problem

In undertaking research with cross-industry professionals on wider systemic issues (examples: social connectedness, nature’s impact on well-being, safety and inclusion in spaces/places, redesigning education/healthcare services), areas worth highlighting discussed ways for effective and conscious communication/storytelling, meaningful engagement, scaling and futureproofing.

Trends depicted the importance of setting early-stage behaviour indicators (openness, humility, deep listening) and learning from lived experiences/user needs while recalling/challenging assumptions. It also presented the need to extend the timeline of ‘information gathering/discovery’ phase for deeper understanding and cost efficiency prior to ideation, solution finding/proposal building. As the backbone of innovation, research was considered integral to maintain leverage, leadership and conscious growth responding to contextual needs.

Ideas for improvement/redesign could focus on:

• Reevaluating the timeline of problem scoping to be more inclusive of cross-industry needs

• Using scientific data as evidence in conjunction with lived experience, cultural feedback

• Finding community partners for long-term maintenance and knowledge sharing – more inclusive and local

• Building on existing problems voiced by those most impacted

💥Designing In A System – insights from various cultures

In learning from various cultures and backgrounds across Europe (Italy, Spain, France, Turkey), Asia (Japan, Subcontinent/Global South, Turkey) professional diversity in environments, global organisational ethos and philosophical underpinnings have presented opportunities for change across mindsets, behaviours and actions to realise benefits from each.

Trends depicted an advanced understanding of impact in a system and potential for designing co-benefits as part of building long term resilience. This was considered important in a globalised world where inter-depencies span a variety of backgrounds, contexts and ecological landscapes.

Multi-cultural leadership qualities to design in a system could focus on:

• Emphasis on experiential (user experience) and ephemeral aspects

• Awareness of balance and timescales – design of birth/end of life equally important (connecting to wider purpose to orient/shift perspective and create deep meaning)

• Joy in process (pride in the act of doing and collaborating in methods)

• Many truths – (awareness of cultural knowledges and humility with inclusion in communication and approaches)

💥Advising Sustainability & Regenerative Thinking in an Ecosystem Scale

In advising organisations and teams, key areas of discussions centred around ways to understand and embed sustainability across social, economic, cultural and environmental factors with a view to create long-lasting benefit and re-shape industries for future resilience and risk planning.

Trends pointed to an awareness of the changing legislative landscapes, shifting consumer focus and increased climate risks affecting value chains in political cycles. Questions were asked around setting purpose driven objectives, setting sustainability focussed strategies, developing resilient supply chains and improving workplace well-being while minimising impact and maximising benefits.

Ideas for improvement/redesign could be:

• Think ‘big’/in a system – could this organisation be the leader in creating an industry shift. If so, start with community (validate early idea), work with partners (competitors) to conduct research which understands industry bottlenecks, build to scale together

• Embed sustainability in governance, operations and strategic decision-making as part of the ethics, values and principles, code of conduct and business model. Conduct an early stage materiality analysis thinking about impacts on the world and the influence of external factors on the organisation

• Go beyond – build a strong, purpose driven brand and tell the regenerative story relative to specific organisational goals. Attempt to educate consumers/users as well as capture future emerging markets

• Invest in Research and Development in regenerative innovation to stay market leading – share knowledge as goodwill and collective upskilling

Thinking & Shifting In A System - Design, Policy, Business

#insights post: Thinking and Shifting in a System requires articulating the root challenge which mandates observing, learning and sharing together across a broader spectrum while remaining close to everyday technical challenges.

Last few months have presented more opportunities for integration across design, policy, business in acting for planet/living systems.

🔶Design - Designing With Public Purpose For Everyday Life  

🔹Intriguing lessons worth interweaving:

• Culture eats strategy for breakfast. – Peter Drucker

• Technology is the answer but what was the question? Cedric Price

• Strategic design is about asking questions around the conditions that produce situations.

• It’s really difficult to shift the dark matter unless you work with the matter.

• Rethink understandings of technology: as culture as infrastructure as place.

• We are suffering from imagination failures.

• Streets are about errands and epiphanies.

• Enable shared understandings.

• Reframe and widen as a diverse, complex system and invite others.

• Systems can’t be mapped or engineered in abstract.

Shared previously via X. Link to slides

@DanHill @cityofsound London Policy&Strategy Network

🔶Policy - Civic Futures: Provocations & Experiments In A Civic System

 🔹Interesting provocations worth considering:

• Transformative social change has always started in and with civil society – Civic Futures Programme.

• Systems grow at the edges – but can we connect them back into the centre.

• How can art help tell stories that bring diverse voices together to understand the same visions.

• How can civic movements be part of city making.

🔹Key questions for meaningful engagement across the citymaking system - How are we…

• Creating spaces for play and speculation?

• Bringing our whole selves to leadership?

• Telling stories that hold us in relationship?

• Building collaborations across civic silos?

• Finding creativity in the technicality?

• Stewarding for long-term transformation?

 @Koreo @DarkmatterLabs @theyoungfoundation @GLA @NedYounger @PalakDudani @Tunde Olayinka @MamaUjuaje @JoonLynn @AngieFarrance @Davidheinemann

🔶Business & Industry - Now for Nature: Developing And Publishing A Credible Nature Strategy And Contributing To A Nature-Positive Future

🔹Useful tips for building resilience in business and industry:

⚪Build the evidence case

• Nature loss is a growing business risk in tandem with climate risk. It matters for climate change, human health tied into long-term business success. Figures. LSE  

• Regulations are on the horizon – Risk and Regulatory landscape shifting - on the back of TCFD - Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Global Biodiversity Framework EU Deforestation regulation.

⚪Identify the long term impact lens and its influence on dependencies

• Strategy should include: materiality assessments (linked with governance), SMART targets aligned with material impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities, C-suite, board approval. Example Links.

⚪Shape and Influence

>Mindsets

• Learn from interconnected climate resilience strategies and integrate together with nature, acknowledge the necessary differences as opportunity areas and create a business case.

• Think local context and global impact.

• Implement and gain buy-in through top and bottom up simultaneously.

• Use the creativity of the youth and emerging leaders to build capacity over longer term and contribute to success overtime.

>Approaches

• Mitigate and value create across the system – find opportunities in these areas to deepen impact.

• Engage with traditional communities and local stewards – co think/co-build.

• Source Ethically.

• Use existing data and tools to get started– acknowledge its limitations.

• Trends and legislation are shifting towards authentic messaging.

• Advocate, share best practice and showcase lessons learned.

@nowfornature @johnsabet @michaelofosuhene-wise @evazabey @lynnebaber @benmatthews @lucycoast @tommaddox@dianeholdorf @Hannahgreen @timchristopherson @marcelobehar @sebastiansoleille

Useful links:

Slides for Designing with Public Purpose

Recording for Civic Futures  

Business case

Nature Strategy Handbook

#critical knowledge stitching #futuresthinking

Cross Sector Knowledge & Collaborative Pathways

#insights post : The era of interconnected challenges requires cross-sector thinking across new partnerships combined with a deep understanding of diverse voices

This month was a great example of reviewing such issues across key landscapes: global, local, industry and educational contexts.

>Trends Across Contexts

#systems #climate-conscious #regenerative #co-benefits #narrative-setting

• The need for cross-sector systems change across Energy, Transport, Buildings & Industry, Food and Land, Climate Finance and Equity.

• Climate literacy for decision makers across government and industry is essential for meaningful impact.

• Design can facilitate cross-sector collaboration and re-imagined solutions especially if utilising the power of storytelling in finding climate solutions.

• Necessary to work laterally and outside of linear, extractive processes and thinking.

>Global

🔶 1 Springboard For Action - Unpacking The Global Stocktake Report – World Resource Institute - Link

Attended an informative conversation discussing this historic report which ‘marks the most extensive assessment of global climate action to date and illuminates a path forward for governments’. It echoes the IPCC for transformative change – calls for decarbonisation of all sectors and systems led transformation. Link to @worldresource institute #transformativeshifts

>Local

🔶 2 Climate Change – Transferable Actions for Local Authorities

Attended an interesting #publicpracticetalks discussing the unique position of ‘councils to address the climate crisis’ and pinpoint where cross-collaboration could be most efficient and scalable. The areas of focus: Culture, Planning and Procurement provided useful context of where to press for change. Areas for transferable action sat across emphasis on climate training at all levels of governance, interim guidance, revised procurement processes. Link to @Public Practice Article #climateliteracy #infrastructureinnovation

@Ella Kaleta @Una Haran @David Mulligan

>Design

🔶 3.Attended engaging discussions at the #london design festival @globaldesign forum.  link

💥Material Systems

Interdisciplinary processes enable innovation - using natural materials such as salt and microbes to create change in façade design and plastic packaging from product to processes and infrastructure surrounding it. @Ateliar Luma and @Shellworks @Henna Burney @Insiya Jafferjee @Sujata Burman #materialsinnovation #infrastructureinnovation #regenerativeapproaches

💥Interconnectivity of Systems: Designing for fairness @Alon Schwabe @Daniel Fernandez Pascual @Chris Hildrey @Darryl Chen @Meneesha Kellay

Combined theme around how humans affect planet: through food and its cultural implications Climavore, through the concept of home and redesign of systems @proxyaddress, through the built and natural environment @hawkinsbrown #planetaryimpact

💥Speculative Re-imaginings

Using technology to break boundaries of what is possible, of what is real – through 3D video, film, art, animation, stills and experiential led processes . ‘Building research through images and visualising in 3D’ link - ‘Telling the visual story of a world that celebrates the power of community and advocates for transformative change’. link #climatefutures - @ZongboJiang @Costas Kazantzis @Carrie Chan

>Vision Co-Building

🔶 4 How Storytelling Advances Solutions - link - #SolutionsHouseNYC

Attended as part of #ClimateWeekNYC to discuss how the climate and biodiversity crisis is part of the story of the 21st century and solving it is an integral part of the solution. Conversation highlighted the importance of story as a form of community and communion with climate as part of every narrative. Interventions could be subliminal such as removing plastic packaging off screen to more intensive climate action such as infiltrating climate knowledge into world-building, intersectional character creation and focussed storylines – a necessary part of cross-sector communication and solution finding.

 Kat Coiro, Tory Stephens, Solitaire Townsend, and Ali Weinstein 

>Education

🔶 5 The past in the future – @LSA

#insights #transdisciplinary #knowledgestitching

Attended @Neil Shashore’s reflections on ‘formative moments in the formation of the modern architectural profession’ where he highlighted the importance of placing contemporary moments along a wider arch to understand context and critically engage in history. A useful process for those looking to create change and deeply influence.

Multidisciplinary Practice & Inspiration With A Well-being Focus

#insights post : ‘Innovation has brought us to an inflection point; the coming decade will be decisive.’

*At its core, climate change is an interspecies global health and well-being issue that impacts people - their businesses, governments and societal needs. *

Last week presented more opportunities for multidisciplinary action & inspiration for well-being-based practice across #Government #Industry #Community #Theory&Education:

🔶1.Health in Design by Homes England; Department of Health and Social Care @Office for health improvement and Matter.Space.Soul Brent Council – Municipal Processes

#well-being design focus #health outcomes #interdisciplinary policymaking

Attended with others from local government, health professionals, planners and design professionals into discussion around what healthy, human-oriented designed environments looked like including ways design coding and visioning could provide parameters to instil a direct focus on well-being. Key calls to action:

• There is no shortage of design for health tools, frameworks and approaches – ensure the ones used are informed by clear research

• Deconstruct slogans and buzzwords

• Involve qualified health professionals to validate a designers claim about health places visions and development

• Experiment together and evaluate over long term

 Lessons from Place Quality Framework by Matter.Space.Soul tested in Brent Council:

• Reframe design quality to quality of life outcomes

• Prioritise people-focused outcomes like physical and mental wellbeing, integrated communities, intergenerational mixing, belonging, ownership

• Work closely with communities

• Approach, method and requirements – put impact first

• *Ultimately – its useful to have a clear national commitment and legislation to health and design*

 🔶2. Herzog and de Meuron at the Royal Academy of Arts – Practice Experience

#well-being design principles #design communication #process focus

Attended with other design practitioners to unpick the process behind communicating and embedding health focussed design strategies based on user needs – building as part of community landscape - but the real questions remain:

• How can we ensure all designers utilise such design principles and do it within efficient budgets, realistic delivery frames, smaller teams and for existing building stock?

• What leadership mindset, what client approach?

• What contracts, what procurement routes emphasise well-being and climate?

• What team dynamics and team strategies work best – reshape management?

 Some examples of well-being focussed design strategies as found in Kinderspital Zurich:

• Indoor courtyards as backgardens/yards providing direct connection to nature, intimacy and identity

• Varying department room clusters as neighbourhoods along a main street – potential to expand over time if needed

• Low level building with open staircases along the main street to promote walking instead of elevators – movement for health designed

• Materiality soothing for comfort and well-being for staff & patients; natural elements

 🔶3. CIVIC Square + Centric Lab, Ecological Health in neighbourhoods – Community Knowledge

#participatory approaches #well-being and innovation #systems change learning #data knowledge

Engaged in launch week with designers, community members, creative groups, health professionals, urban professionals, academics and researchers coming together to expand mindsets, shift processes and work towards collaborative action of ecological health within the built environment. The focus was placed on neighbourhood scale innovation and empowerment to catalyse wider systems change.

CAT – Innovation Lab discussed technological innovation in the path towards net zero, test bed for new relationships with tech. and climate impact

Centric Lab – Data for health justice, expanding knowledge pools, revisiting urban systems and deeply connecting research + practice

 🔶4. Centre for Alternative Technology Innovation Lab – Delivering Zero Carbon Britain: How can UK get to net zero with technology - Research in Practice

#leadership transformation #well-being and innovation #strategic shifts

Discussed the importance of transforming leadership to unlock barriers for systems change with the fantastic Anna Bullen. To those who can, worth attending this innovation lab: https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/event/transformational-leadership-lab/.

Also check out Leadership Matters & Why We Need Good Leaders And Good Businesses For System-based Climate Action

🔶5.Knowledge share - Education & Theory

📣Published articles:

‘The Relationship of Well-being, Nature and Design.’ - Symbiotica

‘The Relationship of Education, Strategic Thinking and Climate Action.’ - Age of Awareness

‘The Relationship between Well-Being and Pro-Active Climate Action/Behaviour.’

 💥In-Practice:

#helping practice #future design #re-imagining process

Designing Our Futures – Invitation Paper – Dark Matter

Municipal Imaginations – Council Exemplar – Moral Imaginations

Well-Lab - Brink

Interdisciplinary Networks Towards Interdisciplinary Pathways

*Interdisciplinary issues require interdisciplinary networking and collaboration* - Last week had some fantastic highlights putting this into practice:

💥 ⚡ Honoured to be invited as a discussion leader for the Association of Architectural Educators Conference Summit at Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University with excellent speakers (Muyiwa Oki, Dan Benham, Charlie Edmonds, Sarah Ackland, Caroline Almond) - discussed the need for systems based thinking, safety in education and transformative shifts in both industry and education together with public and private sector - interdisciplinary collaboration a must in sustainable approaches and crisis response with a wider built environment lens, potential for extended co-benefits ; health, well-being.

#educationalredesign #industrytransformation #systemicthinking #builtenvironment

💥⚡ Delighted to be invited to the Royal College of Art Services Design Masters show where my brilliant mentee Amruta Supate received great recognition for her and her teams efforts - Beyond receiving top marks, the project showcased an important and realistic proposal that tackled the energy and transportation crisis by linking the two and provided an integrated service-based solution for neighbourhoods while revitalising community assets - already in talks with potential investors.

https://lnkd.in/eWvVnXdr

Simultaneously, her work on a Wetlands Conservation Awareness Platform received excellent feedback and was undertaken with the support of Design for Good Royal College of Art - open to funding conversations, do get in touch with Amruta Supate for more information.

#servicesdesign #systemschange #energysector #transportationservices

💥⚡ Excited to have played a part in organising/hosting an extensive, industry wide event with 130 delegates from the built environment in attendance. Considered one of the biggest and hosted together with RTPI Young Planners Cymru RICS Matrics South Wales, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Women in Property South Wales and G4C Wales (Constructing Excellence in Wales) A massive thanks to event sponsors Volos and as Imogen puts it, congratulations to the people below for making it so successful.

Matthew Haynes Steffan Jones Alexander Jones MCIOB Rhiannon Peploe-Williams Harriet Wade Grace Day @Julian Thorpe Imogen Holgate AssocRTPI Eloise Parry BA(Hons) Dip CII Sarah Smith Rhiannon Peploe-Williams Michelle James MCMI Elise O'Brien

#industrycollaboration #networking #interdisciplinary #systemsthinking

💥⚡ Pleased to be engaged in an early stage conversation around the provocation of ‘climate change and physical space’ for COP 28 thanks to the fantastic Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino - Please do check out Alex's open call and share your ideas https://lnkd.in/eDE7-mH5

#climateaction #urbancommunities #climateprovocation #publicprivatecollaboration

City Level Climate Action To Realise Co-Benefits

'Investments in city-level climate action can generate significant benefits for residents beyond reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.' C40's Equitable Impact Toolkit.

Attended an interesting conversation held by C40 Cities last week - panel discussion with @mikaela loach Seb Dance Livia Spera @paul ainsworth
Some key take-aways:
🌿 Need for clean, safe, affordable transport utilising joined up thinking - breakdown of industry silo's an absolute must
🌿 Necessary simplification of public and active transport to ensure it is the default and intuitive process - allowing private vehicles for emergency/necessary trips
🌿 Important tools for change: Collective bargaining
🌿 Green jobs for all income earners and inclusion for those who spend a greater proportion of their income within the local economy - co-linked
🌿 Co-benefits of climate action should be at the forefront of all discussion - sustainability and inclusion interlinked - Cleaner air, community, transport, health and energy are connected
🌿 Political willingness to see transport, energy, health as key policy levers for climate action necessary
🌿 Interconnected financial investment necessary

Worth checking out the full document: Link

‘Insight gained in the UK for climate change solutions shows that city leaders require four Ps:

1. Powers: To create the conditions required for net-zero carbon interventions.

2. Partnerships: The ability to convene new public-private partnerships that will drive cross-sector collaboration and promote investment in net-zero.

3. Platform: A digital solution for collating the data that is required to manage down city-scale carbon emissions and visualize local co-benefits across diverse economic and social infrastructure systems.

4. People: The means to engage businesses and citizens in decarbonization, recognizing that a substantial part of the net-zero challenge lies with changing people’s behaviours.’  Link