The great mindshift : how a new economic paradigm and sustainability transformations go hand in hand
(2016)
Sustainable development is the 21st Century's wicked problem. After 40 years into this agenda have reversed only few unsustainable trends we hear the call for a paradigm shift, transformation, radical change or system innovations in order to finally change course. But what does this actually mean? And how do we put it into practice? This book describes the path ahead. It combines system transformation research with political economy and change leadership insights when discussing the need for a great mindshift in how human wellbeing, economic prosperity and healthy ecosystems are understood if the Great Transformations ahead are to lead to more sustainability. It shows that history is made by purposefully acting humans and introduces transformative literacy as a key skill in leading the radical incremental change strategies that wicked problems require, illustrating their nature through mapping pioneering practices and their commonalities.
This handbook was developed in the context of a joint project of the Wuppertal Institute and the Centre for Social Investment (CSI) called the System Innovation Lab. It combined sustainability transformation research insights with those of social innovation in order to design an on-the-job training and coaching that would enable participants to take a systemic approach to innovation and test what this means in their respective work settings. Focussing on the topic of sustainable energy futures in Europe it addressed young European leaders in government, the private sector and civil society working on energy issues and combined latest theoretical insights with novel innovation and leadership methods to spread the capacity and courage that transforming entire sectors requires.