A series on deep collaboration strategies for deep decarbonization
in support of UN Sustainable Development Goal #13
FOUR
This is the final post in a blog series that aims to:
- examine existing and emerging collaboration initiatives.
- examine new models for collaboration.
- define Deep Collaboration.
- outline a roadmap for how to achieve Deep Collaboration to advance Deep Decarbonization.
The roadmap to climate change solutions will be critical to directing the collaboration required to achieve decarbonization.
Key principles and core elements of Deep Collaboration were defined in the last post, which also introduced the concept of “coopetitive collaboration” (combining the dual motives of participant cooperation—shared resources with shared benefits—and competitive participation that leverages the shared resources to achieve outcomes with private benefits.) The elements of coopetitive collaboration (cooperation and competitive motivation) are essential to growing effective participation.
As new organizations join in the efforts to address SDG 13—“Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”—the challenge is to develop a roadmap for achieving Deep Collaboration in order to advance Deep Decarbonization.
The roadmap needs a destination or goal.
For Deep Decarbonization the 2 degree global target for climate change, translated into science-based targets as sector carbon budgets, is a reasonable starting point. But there are many criteria that need to be considered in developing strategies for reaching the target, such as developing a “green economy” and incorporating all 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). In other words, the deep decarbonization goal has a triple bottom line of environmental, social, and economic objectives that need to be solved together.
Deep decarbonization is more than a “technology fix.” It also involves a wide range of advancements in policies, markets, investment, human involvement, and much more throughout the “value web.” To clearly articulate what is new about deep collaboration it’s useful to recognize what has already been accomplished. Collaboration is happening on a project-by-project basis for climate actions at the micro-level, for example, when designing and implementing a major climate action such as upgrading an industrial facility to reduce its carbon intensity of production. In contrast, at the macro-level, many sector studies together form a shared collaborative knowledge resource. However there is relatively less coordination and collaboration happening at the macro-level in terms of climate actions. Multi-stakeholder participation is essential to designing a rigorous Theory of Change, and this collaboration is also essential to support implementation at scale of an integrated multitude of “knowledge-to-climate actions”
“What gets measured gets managed,” and “what gets valued, gets done.”
To accomplish mass collaboration on climate actions at a macro-level requires integration of Web 2.0 knowledge collaboratives with new digital technologies, for example the Internet of Things, to measure and implement the solutions. Another new digital technology is Blockchain with “distributed ledgers” that is a collaborative governance valuation solution that can facilitate the flows of financial capital and align it with non-financial environmental and social capital.
Deep Collaboration utilizes Web 2.0 knowledge collaboratives linked up with the Internet of Things and leveraging blockchain technology to catalyze “coopetitive collaboration” in order for major goals such as Deep Decarbonization to be achievable.
I hope this blog series has helped inform your understanding of the continuing evolution and outlook for online collaboration, particularly relating to climate.
GSN will host a one-hour webinar
Thursday, April 21, 2016—11:00 AM, EDT
“Deep Decarbonization Needs Deep Collaboration:
GSN 2.0 – can we reach 90% decarbonization by 2050?”
Tom Baumann and his guests will discuss the technologies and strategies that will boost collaboration, get people talking, and solve our urgent climate problems, and will provide a live Q & A discussion.
Click for free registration:
WEBINAR
REGISTER
