Topic

Sustainability & climate action

Commentary

Imaginaries on Sustainability Transformation – Report outlines three positive futures

Imagining futures where society has successfully undergone a sustainability transformation helps us envision a world in which today’s major negative trends have been brought under control. But what kind of positive futures have been proposed in recent years? At the request of the Finnish Expert Panel for Sustainable Development, Demos Helsinki conducted a literature review and drafted three preliminary visions of such futures.

Europe cannot simply build its way out of the housing crisis

There is an anticipated challenge in housing that few are talking about yet. The conventional tool that cities have always had to address housing crises — building more — will not be sufficient. How prepared are cities for this scenario? More importantly, how can cities address housing justice while also averting ecological and biodiversity crises from worsening?

Chapter 1: COP27 signalled an end of an era for cities

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.

21st-century infrastructure must be regenerative

Traditional infrastructure, like Austin’s I-35, often benefits some while harming others, especially marginalised communities. Expanding from six to twenty lanes, as proposed, could exacerbate this. Instead, regenerative infrastructure—rebuilding communities and ecosystems—offers a vision for 21st-century development, promoting social equity and environmental health, crucial for a sustainable future.

What is regenerative infrastructure?

Sustainability is no longer enough to address today’s environmental challenges. Regeneration, which emphasises renewal, restoration, and resilience, is emerging as a more effective framework. By shifting from an anthropocentric to an ecocentric approach, regenerative infrastructure can positively impact both communities and ecosystems, fostering long-term, net-positive environmental and societal change.

Re-focusing on the future: Backcasting carbon neutral cities

Demos Helsinki cofounder Aleksi Neuvonen presents research on how backcasting scenarios can help cities achieve carbon neutrality. By working backwards from a desired carbon-neutral future, backcasting enables collective learning, redefines urban planning, and fosters cross-sector collaboration, crucial for the societal transition towards sustainable, carbon-neutral cities.

Publications

PATH2030 – An Evaluation of Finland’s Sustainable Development Policy

What path should Finland take to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030? The PATH2030 project has produced an evaluation of Finland’s sustainable development policy and formulated concrete recommendations for the future.

Policy Brief: Path2030 – Evaluation of Finland’s Sustainable Development Policy

17 main goals, 169 sub-targets and only 10 years time. What path should Finland take to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030? The Path 2030 policy brief offers pathways and concrete suggestions to improve Finnish Sustainable Development policy performance.

Futures Brief: The Consumer Business Models of the Future

We believe that smart-ups create the success stories of the future. This Futures Brief helps us to think, act and develop like a smart-up.

Projects

The Sustainable Urban Net Zero Network for Ukraine – SUN4Ukraine

The project supports Ukrainian municipalities in their pursuit of climate neutrality amidst rebuilding efforts. Together with leading EU and Ukrainian partners, including city networks, research organisations and urban stakeholders, Demos Helsinki supports this project by providing arenas for sharing knowledge and testing new methods for engaging citizens and other stakeholders in these processes.

Circular Economy Green Deal – a steering instrument for collective action towards circularity

The Circular Economy Green Deal is a novel Finnish steering instrument that catalyses collective action for systemic change towards circularity based on voluntary commitments. Demos Helsinki had the honour of leading the co-creative process that led to the creation of the Circular Economy Green Deal.

MUST: Enabling multispecies transition in urban planning

The ongoing biodiversity crisis demonstrates that we need better ways to live with nature in cities. The MUST project, employing a multispecies transition lens, aims to enhance the understanding and visibility of multispecies needs. This, in turn, will foster improved deliberation and action among stakeholders.

People

Themes