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Our latest updates, thoughts, and events — as they roll out.
Demos Helsinki is currently involved in 14 Horizon Europe projects. From exploring the societal impacts of new technologies to tackling climate challenges, these projects reflect a growing demand for research that sparks systemic change. Discover how we are working across disciplines to shape fairer, more sustainable futures.
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These three research projects are: 1) Reducing polarisation via material participation (MaDem); 2) Coastal waters under pressure – safeguarding a healthy Gulf of Finland in a changing geopolitical and environmental landscape (CoWup); and 3) Safe Water for All (WaterFall).
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We are pleased to announce that the UNDP’s Istanbul Innovation Days (IID), taking place in March 2025, will focus on shaping the next generation of public institutions for a secure and prosperous world.
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While substantial efforts have been made to identify and address issues of environmental justice in urban areas, the question of how to consider and plan for the concerns of humans and other species remains a major challenge. This paper provides a conceptualisation of what ‘justice’ might mean from a multispecies justice (MSJ) perspective within the contexts of nature-based solutions (NBS) and urban sustainability planning. We offer a wider conceptualisation of representation, distribution and agency compared with dominant framings in NBS scholarship and provide exemplar cases on how to integrate these concepts in planning discourse. We critically discuss some of the challenges and opportunities of considering MSJ when confronted by established procedures and practices in NBS science and decision-making, focusing on (i) moving beyond existing standards for biodiversity conservation; (ii) embracing MSJ as a process and practice; and (iii) building the capacity of NBS planners to work with MSJ.
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The report provides insights into how the dominant ways of thinking about growth have taken shape and become entrenched: What has changed over the decades? And what might the future look like? Finnish discourse is also placed in the broader context of international societal and scientific debates, as well as global shifts in the operating environment.
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With the increasing culture of applying piloting as part of technology innovation, the need for understanding its societal implications is becoming more crucial. With the aim of understanding better the power relations, tensions and agencies pivotal to negotiating and embedding ethics across processes, we consider utilizing a framework of “design logics” to the data.
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Climate governance and cities: leading the next decade
February 14, 2023
Cities are stepping up to tackle the climate crisis, but progress is often slow. Demos Helsinki identifies four key governance strategies to break the gridlock: domain-specific governance, cultural change, city ecosystem leadership, and multi-level governance. These approaches help cities embed climate thinking in decision-making, foster collective action, and lead national and global dialogues on climate solutions. By focusing on governance, cities can effectively meet their climate targets.
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Chapter 1: COP27 signalled an end of an era for cities
November 29, 2022
Cities are no longer just drivers of climate action but must now transform themselves into leaders of collective action. As we shift from gradual low-carbonisation to rapid decarbonisation, cities must rethink their role, governance, and tools to address the climate crisis and foster coordinated efforts for sustainable change.
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What is the role of business when the rest of the world is changing?
November 14, 2022
Businesses must redefine their societal purpose to address today’s complex challenges. Companies are urged to radically transform their supply chains, invest in new markets, and embrace activism. Yet, many still cling to outdated roles in society. It’s time to ask: can business remain unchanged while the world rapidly evolves?
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