2/ Roots of Renewal
Rethinking progress
“The crisis of nature is closely interlinked with societal crises. As the global economy faces disruptions from climate change and geopolitical shifts, we must move beyond traditional models. ”
Ambitious climate goals are being delayed, and industries like fashion are falling behind on sustainability commitments. This resistance to change is not just a policy failure but a failure of imagination, fear and information overload as we hold on to outdated notions of progress that ignore the systemic shifts needed for a resilient future.
The solution lies in adressing the root causes. Prioritizing resilience and taking responsibility. A more sustainable world will ultimately be driven by our choices that reflect a deeper understanding of ourselves and the planet.
Earth is showing us that we need to adapt. It is time to recognize that the thinking and doing of the last eight decades, rooted in consumerism and focused on profit-driven growth, are no longer possible. To build a future that fosters both human and environmental well-being, we must transform the structures that currently define our economies. The goal is not just to survive but to create systems where people and nature can thrive together. Our future depends on reconnecting with nature and embracing it as the foundation of our progress and existence.
Banner image: Giant Kapok Tree, Photo by Jason Edwards
1/ Going Backwards
Urgency overlooked
In a business-as-usual scenario, we are heading toward a three-degree Celsius increase in global temperatures, ignoring tipping points that could push temperatures even higher. This will result in twenty per cent lower GDP growth by 2050. For comparison, the pandemic caused a three per cent GDP decline. The impacts of a three-degree rise are seven times greater and are spread out over a more extended period. This scenario does not account for damage caused by natural disasters and millions of climate refugees and how this will destabilize our institutions, significantly cause financial market stress, and have major behavioural effects.
According to the (PIK) study’s calculations, the economic burden of climate change could reach $38 trillion annually, six times higher than the estimated cost of limiting global temperatures to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Despite witnessing the impacts of climate change, people see issues to take the necessary actions to address it. Inflation and immigration have been seen as more urgent, overshadowing the immediate need for action and investments. Climate inequality continues to grow. Continents like Africa, which produce fewer emissions, face worse climate impacts. When wealthy countries cut their aid to these regions, the problem worsens.
The desire to return to an imagined ‘golden age’ or holding on to entrenched standards represents a dangerous form of nostalgia that ignores both present realities and future challenges. This backwards-looking attitude stops us from making needed changes and delaying change during economic downturns, which only escalates future costs and risks, making the price of inaction an expensive miscalculation.
Why this matters
The failure to act on climate change not only worsens its economic and social impacts but also accelerates inequality.
Shifting Shorelines/ Jennifer Starkweather & Amanda Hughen
Through abstract artworks, the project explores the interplay of human stories, environmental data, and historical maps to reimagine the narratives of shifting shorelines. See more here
Urban Imprint/ Studio Ini
Installation that responds to the rigidity of urban spaces, contrasting them with natural environments that adapt to human presence. See more here
Weakening AMOC/ Gabriel M. Pontes & Laurie Menviel
In 2024, we reached the 1,5 degree threshold. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation moves warm and cold water in the Atlantic. Adding future meltwater numbers to climate projections shows it could weaken 30% by 2040—20 years sooner than expected. This gives us even less time to act. Read more here
2/Globalisation is Local
Local worlds rising
Globalization’s future depends on its ability to adapt to rising populism, protectionism, climate change and geopolitical shifts. While the U.S. threatens to retreat from globalist policies, and raising tarrifs, other regions are strengthening their ties. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook emphasizes fragmentation, mentioning it 172 times compared to just once five years ago.
Asian supply chains are lengthening as countries like Vietnam and Thailand integrate Chinese components into their exports. The assumption that tariffs directly impact exports in a linear fashion is oversimplified; the reality is far more intricate and complex. Factories rely on imported components. Nearly 20% of US imports are so-called intermediate inputs used by domestic producers to make other goods. Flows between other countries are rising. What we are seeing is a shift to a multipolar world, not necessarily towards deglobalisation.
Climate adaptation and mitigation efforts may further fragment global cooperation, as countries prioritize domestic needs or use protectionist policies to safeguard their economies. Climate change is reshaping the dynamics of trade creating new dependencies. Extreme weather events disrupt supply chains, highlighting the vulnerabilities of long supply chains and global sourcing.
Rising sea levels and flooding threaten global trade hubs and coastal infrastructure, driving shifts in trade routes and economic power. Countries will seek to reduce their reliance on vulnerable global supply chains. These shifts will lead to a more fragmented global economy, with local, regional dynamics becoming more important.
Why this matters
Supply chains will divert and become longer before they become shorter and more local.
A Local Paradise/ Tony Berlant
The project shows an idealized or personal vision of a home using fragmented materials.
Porto Alegre, Brazil/ Photo by Renan Mattos
The flooding in southern Brazil underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains, highlighting how extreme weather events can disrupt exports, inflate costs, and impact economies. See more here
Homegrown Denim/ G-Star
A research project that explores growing sustainable, homegrown cotton in greenhouses in The Netherlands to transform denim production with minimal environmental impact. See more here
Save Us/ Charlotte Johannesson
The world map connects digital and textile-based art to a larger narrative, making it relevant to global discussions on the environment, technology, and human survival. See more here
3/ An Economy of Care
Grassroots change
Motherhood is the foundation of caregiving networks that help make communities more resilient in the face of crisis and conflict. Effective climate adaptation policy should account for the ways in which mothers are disproportionately affected by climate change hazards, while also supporting the essential caregiving role their communities depend upon.
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UNFCCC, women in general, mothers or not, are already more vulnerable to and more affected by climate change hazards, especially in the Global South.
Jenny Grettve’s The Mothering Economy explores the idea that profound mothering among humans is not about a burdensome technological revolution but rather a simple way of being together and relating to the world in a different way. She sees mothering not just as a parental role but as a universal approach to care that reimagines how we value and distribute wealth.
Change does not come from politics but from citizens. If citizens organize themselves more strongly a better and gentler society is possible. In communities worldwide, mutual aid networks have filled gaps in social services, demonstrating that solidarity and shared responsibility create resilience where systems fall short.
Political systems often respond slowly to crises or social needs due to bureaucracy, competing interests, or short-term electoral goals. Citizen-led innovations, like cooperatives and community-owned renewable energy projects, offer solutions where governments hesitate.
Why this matters
See the world through the lens of care and interconnectedness.
Mothering Economy/ Jenny Grettve
Mothering, involving care, nurturing, and generosity, is a foundational element of human society that transcends biological motherhood and gender, is often overlooked in discussions about innovation and solutions to global challenges. See more here
Collaborative Village Play: The Fish Auctioneer’s Song/ Antje Schiffers
Performance piece that invites communities to collaborate in the creation of a collective narrative, often through the sharing of songs, stories, and local traditions. See more here
4/ Against the Stream
The economy of enough
The enough economy advocates for producing and consuming only what is enough to meet human needs and ensure well-being without exploiting natural resources or worsening environmental crises. Instead of focusing on perpetual GDP growth. Japan is exploring opportunities for a “nature-positive” economy, focusing on sustainability, biodiversity restoration, and aligning growth with ecological balance to address global environmental challenges.
The economy is cheating the future. We need growth, but a different kind of growth, one that prioritizes resilience, sustainability, and equitable prosperity over pure profit-driven expansion. Achieving this requires greater collaboration between the private sector, civil society, and philanthropy, which has the unique ability to take risks, experiment with solutions, and shape systemic change while rethinking the very nature of our societies.
The credit-based economy traps people in cycles of debt, often starting with burdensome student loans that hinder their ability to buy homes or achieve financial independence. A reimagined economy should prioritize care by women, men, and society as a whole to support youth in flourishing without the weight of debt, fostering autonomy, resilience and creativity.
Choosing a non-consumerist, no-debt life means going against the stream of what society sees as wealth and success. This creates a deep tension, as many view this as a loss of freedom and their personal expression and autonomy. This resistance to change is rooted in biases and the difficulty of letting go of comforts and identities shaped by consumption, making the shift to a life based on ethics and personal values challenging and friction-filled.
Why this matters
Breaking free of the current system requires courage to redefine success and progress.
Of Cords Curling Around Mountains/ Otobong Nkanga
Tapestry exploring the ecological crises and the exploitation of natural resources. See more here
Living Places Copenhagen/ Effekt Architects & Velux Group
This project aims to demonstrate how small sustainable homes can be constructed with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. An open-source Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculator tool is being developed. Read more here
Psychosoma/ Eve Hurst
Sensory fountains that address conditions that affect both body and mind are often denied in Western healthcare. See more here
Further reading
The Longevity Imperative/ Andrew J. Scott
Scott proposes substantial changes in health systems and economies and underscores how environmental sustainability and longevity are interconnected. He emphasizes the need for substantial changes across various sectors, including healthcare, the economy, and financial systems, to accommodate and leverage the benefits of extended lifespans.
Intertwined/ Rebecca Kormus
Rebecca Kormos writes about why women are essential to changing our current trajectory toward catastrophic global warming and environmental degradation. Women’s leadership and equal representation is linked to lower CO2 emissions, better forest management, better land protection, less land grabbing, and fewer conflicts over resources.
Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics As If People Mattered/ E.F. Schumacher
Small Is Beautiful is a visionary call for sustainability and human dignity in economic development. He argues that small enterprises are more adaptable, community-focused, and capable of creating meaningful work.
Slow Burn/ R. Jisung Park
The book examines the impacts of climate change on various aspects of society, emphasizing how these effects are already being felt and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. He discusses how heat can impair cognitive function, leading to lower test scores and reduced learning outcomes.
Index
The Shifts