by Vigdis Teigen -

#03 Understanding the bigger picture

In my research journey, it is essential to take a step back and examine the broader environmental challenges we face today. Reports from key organisations such as WWF, the United Nations (UN), and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) provide good and reliable insights into the state of our planet and the actions needed to reverse the damage. In this post, I will summarise key findings from these sources and identify potential areas where design can play a transformative role.

Key Insights from WWF, UN, and IPBES Reports

The WWF Living Planet Report 2022 highlights a 69% decline in monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2018, emphasising the urgent need for systemic change (Almond et al., 2022). It identifies biodiversity loss and climate change as interconnected crises, stressing that addressing one requires tackling the other simultaneously. WWF proposes transformative solutions in conservation, food systems, energy, and finance to mitigate these issues.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2019-2030) aims to prevent, halt, and reverse ecosystem degradation worldwide (United Nations, 2019). The strategy emphasise the importance of cultural engagement and empowering future generations. These aspects align closely with the potential of design to foster behavioural change and community engagement.

IPBES identifies “changed land use” as the most significant threat to biodiversity, with habitat destruction being a primary driver of species decline (NTNU Event, 2022).

The IPBES conceptual framework underscores the complex interplay between natural systems and human societies, highlighting the need for integrated approaches that bridge ecological and social dimensions (IPBES, 2015).

Pressing Environmental Challenges and Proposed Solutions

Key challenges identified by these reports include:

  • Land Use Changes: Urban expansion, deforestation, and industrial activities continue to fragment ecosystems and degrade habitats (NTNU Event, 2024).
  • Food Systems: Intensive agriculture contributes to deforestation, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss, necessitating a shift toward sustainable practices such as regenerative farming (Almond et al., 2022).
  • Energy Transition: While renewable energy is crucial, infrastructure development must minimize ecological harm (Det Norske Vitenskaps-Akademi, 2023).
  • Public Awareness and Engagement: Reports stress the importance of mobilising public support and creating awareness through storytelling and education to drive political and behavioural change (Hundere, 2024).

Where Design Can Play a Transformative Role

Design holds the potential to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public engagement by:

  • Communication and Storytelling: Utilizing speculative design and behavioral science to create compelling narratives that inspire action, such as visual campaigns and immersive experiences.
  • Urban Planning and Land Use: Implementing nature-positive design principles in urban environments to balance human needs with ecological preservation. This also intertwines with sustainable architecture.
  • Sustainable Product and System Design: Developing solutions that align with regenerative agricultural practices and circular economy models to reduce environmental footprints.

In conclusion, understanding the bigger picture is crucial for identifying where design can contribute to addressing environmental challenges. By getting insights from leading environmental organisations, I can lean on their key findings to quicker understand the most important and pressing issues and solutions to these. This is also how I plan to create a more narrow and tangible area for me to research in.

Sources:

Almond, R.E.A., Grooten, M., Juffe Bignoli, D. & Petersen, T. (Eds). WWF, Gland, Switzerland. (2022). Living Planet Report 2022 – Building a nature-positive society. Retrieved from https://media.wwf.no/assets/attachments/lpr_2022_full_report_2023-02-09-115529_ahtx.pdf

Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi. (2023). Hvorfor kan vi ikke ofre naturen for det grønne skiftet? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOa2GFtmfu8

Hundere, Torbjørn (2024, 02. februar). Engasjement kan redusere tap av natur og løse naturkrisen. Naturviterne. Retrieved from https://www.naturviterne.no/naturviterpodden/engasjement-kan-redusere-tap-av-natur-og-lose-naturkrisen

IPBES´s Journal Articles (2015). The IPBES Conceptual Framework – connecting nature and people. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Retrieved from https://www.ipbes.net/resources/journal-articles

NTNU Event. (2022). Naturen som forsvinner – hva betyr det? Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srRhPF8JLK0

United Nations. (2019). Strategy of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Retrieved from https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/strategy

by Vigdis Teigen -

#01 How ecocentric design can help us coexist with nature

Topic and objective

This research is about the need for systemic change to combat environmental crises, emphasising that functioning ecosystems are essential for life and climate resilience. The research seeks to investigate how ecocentric philosophies, particularly those rooted in sustainable land use, can inspire innovative design interventions that support large-scale ecological restoration.

This investigation objective is to propose an analysis on the role design can play in addressing the interconnected crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. I also want to explore how ecocentric design principles can foster coexistence with nature by integrating approaches like permaculture and regenerative farming into scalable solutions.

Background

Today we stand in front of a huge task of saving the world. We are currently in the midst of a nature and climate crisis. Since 1970, two-thirds of the world’s wildlife populations have declined, and there has never been a more urgent need to restore damaged ecosystems than now (Almond et.al. 2022). We know that functioning ecosystems are essential for all life on Earth, since nature acts as a buffer against climate change.

We are less resilient to climate changes the less intact nature we have. Though trying to combat both these crisises, we see that they are intertwined in ways that makes change very difficult (Det Norske Vitenskapsakademi, 12:04). UN´s nature panel, IPBES range “changed areal usage” as the biggest threat to the biological diversity (NTNU Event, 2022, 7:50).

Why biodiversity is important – with Sir David Attenborough explaines some of the fundamentals on why we need to protect our nature.

Ecocentrism:

A worldview that sees all of nature as having inherent value, and is centred on nature rather than on humans. Also known as biocentrism. See anthropocentrism.

Research question: How ecocentric design can help us coexist with nature

The central research question driving the work is how ecocentric design principles can be used to promote coexistence with nature? This inquiry aims to bridge the gap between ecological theory and design strategies that empower individuals and communities to live in harmony with their environments.

How to solve it?

Trying to come up with solutions to these global problems is a tough job. It seems that we need deeprooted value change among the entire population. WWF writes in the Living Planet report 2022 that

It’s not too late for nature to recover, but we need big, bold solutions. Restoring nature will require unprecedented conservation efforts that meet the scale of the nature loss crisis, and an urgent transformation of our food, energy and finance systems. (Almond et.al. 2022)

WWF also lists these actions as the main solutions to these crisises:

  • TRANSFORMING CONSERVATION
  • TRANSFORMING OUR FOOD SYSTEM
  • TRANSFORMING OUR ENERGY SYSTEM
  • TRANSFORMING FINANCE

These are of course some very big systematical changes that I alone cannot take on by myself. Nevertheless, I aim to learn how I as a designer can contribute to these already existing movements.

When trying to explore some solutions on my own I have gotten an interest in topics like permaculture, regenerative farming, and sustainable land use. These are some of the more important areas that I think is crucial so learn about if I am to understand the interconnected problems.

Looking at possible solutions in the start, there are many different roads to go. For example, I could aim for an implementation framework that outlines actionable steps for integrating ecocentric practices into broader societal contexts. This solution is a very broad and vague one, but which also allows me to get the broad aspect early on, so I can dive deeper into a smaller and more defined area later in my anctual thesis.

Another possible solution is to explore how integrating approaches like permaculture and regenerative farming into scalable solutions. This could be looking at existing small-scale solutions (for example small sustainable communities) and see what can we learn from these and how to scale this up to be accessible for the greater societies.

Another way to go is to look in to existing methodology being used by cooperations with similar intentions on how to battle these huge societal problems. This could be to see how for example Green Peace, WWF, UN, NGOs, the different nations and even how political parties work with communication, value change, spreading knowledge and actually making a positive impact. This approach to my researching could help me navigate in this very broad theme – as well as giving me tools to learn more and more efficient.

The road and challenges ahead

As described above, my motivation for this theme is my personal desire to work against the interconnected crises of climate change and biodiversity loss – and learn as much as possible about what can be done. I believe that design is a powerful tool that can play a big part in the solution. This is what I aim to find out in this research.

The main challenges ahead that I can see is that I tend to go extremely broad in framing the problem – making the research task a very difficult one. Because of my desire to “save the whole world”, I find it difficult to close doors on themes and problems I find important. But since this topic is a very large and interconnected one – my main task in the start will be to narrow it down to a tangible amount I can work with. Another challenge is to work alone, whereas I have found working in groups much better – where I can spar and discuss with others.

If enough people realise that we have influence and can make an impact in this very big world, we can make actual change. Though I must admit that I also feel lost, scared and hopeless when facing such a wicked problem, I hope that through this research, I will be able to gain more knowledge and confidence – and restore hope that we will be able to turn our course to a better one.

Sources

Almond, R.E.A., Grooten, M., Juffe Bignoli, D. & Petersen, T. (Eds). WWF, Gland, Switzerland. (2022). Living Planet Report 2022 – Building a nature- positive society. WWF https://media.wwf.no/assets/attachments/lpr_2022_full_report_2023-02-09-115529_ahtx.pdf?_gl=1*16u778x*_up*MQ.._gaNjA1MTQ4ODUxLjE3MTQ2NTM5MTQ._ga_BB7Z1P8XYMMTcxNDY1MzkxNC4xLjAuMTcxNDY1MzkxNC4wLjAuMA

Det Norske Vitenskapsakademi (12:04) Dag O. Hessen [Video]. Youtube. Hvorfor kan vi ikke ofre naturen for det grønne skiftet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOa2GFtmfu8

NTNU Event (2022, 16th of August). Hvem bestemmer over norsk natur? – Arendalsuka 2022 [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j16EJiCrxSA

Permaculture Research Institute (2024) What is Permaculture? https://www.permaculturenews.org/what-is-permaculture/

The Royal Society (11th Oct., 2021) Why is biodiversity important – with Sir David Attenborough. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlWNuzrqe7U&t=5s