On our new strategy - transforming food, energy and finance
This week, Forum for the Future is launching its new strategy. We want to transform the complex systems which serve our fundamental needs, such as food, energy and finance, so that they are fit for the challenges of the 21st Century. To do this, we are putting 'system innovation' at the heart of our work.
Why this change in approach? We have 15 years' experience doing great work. But in spite of our achievements, it is clear that if we want to tackle problems such as climate change or vulnerable ecosystems, we can't take a piecemeal approach. Doing a bit here and a bit there won't change things at the speed or on the scale we need.
Our new strategy looks at whole systems. It draws on 'complex systems theory', as set out by the likes of Donella Meadows. Meadows observed that there are levers, or particular places within a system – such as a company, a city, an economy – where a "small shift in one thing can produce big changes in everything".
We will focus, initially, on three critical global systems that underpin our lives and the prospects for sustainability: food, finance and energy. These are areas in which Forum for the Future can already bring to bear a depth of expertise and a breadth of relationships.
We believe that by understanding the dynamics of these systems, bringing together organisations, and intervening at strategic tipping points, we’ve got a much better chance of transforming them so they function in a new and more sustainable way.
We want to pioneer ways to create a more resilient food system, making better use of our resources and cutting down on food waste. We’ll be working to change the finance system so that it rewards long-term thinking. And we’ll be running a series of projects to take sustainable energy solutions to scale.
Of course, we won’t achieve this alone. We’ll be convening new alliances between business, public service providers, NGOs and entrepreneurs, and working with them to create practical solutions. Take a look at our animation to see our strategy visualised.
This is an ambitious strategy. I believe we need ambition at this scale if we are to help create a sustainable future.
Peter Madden is CEO of Forum for the Future
Read more about our approach to system innovation here:
Read our blogs on system innovation in food, energy and finance:
Comments
In principle, the project may look perfect but I think the point at which it will try to change the system of financing will not be possible because there are too many economic interests that are over the future of mankind.
Sorry for the language.
thanks
I wish you well in your endeavours and look forward to collaborating, as you are not alone! I am in agreement that systems are complex and are perdiodically 'punctuated' in their 'equilibrium' e.g. from animal/ renewable (solar) energy powered system to a fossil fuel powered energy system to a low carbon (solar?) system within several hundred years. Technology, finance, information and people are all components that interact. We need that shift now in a number of interwoven systems, as you and others have rightly identified, to help change the trajectory of society. How to help facilitated such a shift? One of the most fascinating questions and I look forward to hopefully answering it with you and others.
Ambitious is the right word for what you want to achieve. Naive would be another.
Please don’t get me wrong, I certainly hope and wish with all of my heart that what you want to achieve will be achieved. But I fail to see how you are going to this. You have instant communication and free advertising through the internet on your side. Your audience could be in the millions. But it would mean every person acting as a “single cell” within the capitalist commercial organism to move in unison. Your idea is what management say a “bottom up” approach. Yet to change policies and directions of billions of people and hundreds of countries you’ll need a top down approach.
It seems the main contributor to the failing of this idea will be tackling finance. It’s obvious now to many, that money is not real. A hoax that was played us. Those bandits sit behind closed secured doors such as the Federal Reserve. As private and soulful owners of the printing press they lend this “money” with an interest rate. The governments across the world increase taxes to pay the interest and additional bailouts. I understand, we definitely need a lubricant for trade but what we need is for each country to be able to print its own money. Many pools of currency reduce the power of the few greedy and the devastating consequences that occur when risk is not diversified through different currencies.
So what am I getting at here? Finance issues will not be solved by you or institutions or even government bodies because the finance is created by private holders of currency producing assets. As such, they pull the stings: higher commissions for more subprime sales ; insider recognition for selling more stock of an investment bank (before it goes bust). The point is, the direction and energy you need to increase investment in self sustainable materials and products won’t reach its target audience because there the return is not high enough for those that print the cash. That’s why cars come out with newer models, why boilers breakdown easily, why poor quality products are created: to increase turnover and revenue. Investing in self sustaining products and helping other to sustain themselves without high ROI is just not possible.
As for energy, I’ll save the discussion on the subjection of Zero-Point energy and people like Tesla, and those that can operate vehicles using only water until a different day.
But by all means go for it! I wish you the best and wish I could do more personally to help you.
This is an interesting approach, one that I have been working on for my PhD for two years now.
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