humans and finding ways to free their systems from the growth-for-growth’s-sake
imperative in order to do be able to do things well in the longer run.
In most of the Green Economy discourse, also in the context of reaching the
SDGs, ‘decoupling’ is stated as the prime goal rather than a strategy. Also, the term
only refers to single- and not double-decoupling. The GDP growth imperative
remains the uncontested default. From my point of view this falls short of a
paradigm shift and thus transformational leverage. It keeps one trapped in the
mental model that created unsustainable solutions of uneconomic growth in the first
place: can economic processes really be disconnected from nature or people?
Also, single- rather than double-decoupling means strategies claim success when
more fictitious commodities are created: more natural life and resources are priced
and thus push up exchange value output statistics, while ‘immaterial’ growth often
stems from the same effect in social relations or the yet further financialization of
the economy.
Of course, every paradigm, theory, model, or narrative is invariably a distortion
of the real world. But it is important to reflect on them and decide whether the blind
spots are acceptable given the declared purpose that one seeks to achieve. To me, a
mind-set suitable for guiding transformational strategies for sustainable development can only be one that helps illuminate the qualities of human–human, human–
nature, and human–technology relations so they can be governed toward thriving in
harmony. The monetized growth imaginary of the mainstream economic paradigm
fails miserably. The recoupling imaginary qualifies. It can become the radical
backbone of a new narrative that organizes incremental transformation strategies for
sustainable development.
5.3 Summarizing Outlook
Given the magnitude of change required to reach sustainable development, a focus
on ideas and paradigms may seem a bit lofty. But a systematic exposure of the blind
spots in the paradigm most influential in imagining futures today enables critical
reassessments of common sense and the way the institutions built around it shape
developments. Opening up today’s SETS’s to understand on which basic ideas
individual positions as well as institutional designs rest will also shed a different
light on joint interests, decision-making patterns, and coalitions—especially in
contrast to the typical container concepts of ‘government,’ ‘business,’ ‘civil society,’ ‘science,’ and ‘media.’ While these institutions have been set up for particular
purposes and thus carry mandates and role expectations (some of the famous path
dependencies) that differ from each other, the way that individuals carry them out
will depend on their respective mind-sets, evidence sourcing, and ethics.
Deciphering political dynamics by using such paradigmatic factors rather than
institutional affiliation is thus very helpful for the transformative literacy needed to
conduct system innovations. Also, on the individual level I believe that once we
have started to see the world differently, the old ways will not feel ‘right’—or at
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5 How to Work a Great Mindshift for Sustainability Transformations
imperative in order to do be able to do things well in the longer run.
In most of the Green Economy discourse, also in the context of reaching the
SDGs, ‘decoupling’ is stated as the prime goal rather than a strategy. Also, the term
only refers to single- and not double-decoupling. The GDP growth imperative
remains the uncontested default. From my point of view this falls short of a
paradigm shift and thus transformational leverage. It keeps one trapped in the
mental model that created unsustainable solutions of uneconomic growth in the first
place: can economic processes really be disconnected from nature or people?
Also, single- rather than double-decoupling means strategies claim success when
more fictitious commodities are created: more natural life and resources are priced
and thus push up exchange value output statistics, while ‘immaterial’ growth often
stems from the same effect in social relations or the yet further financialization of
the economy.
Of course, every paradigm, theory, model, or narrative is invariably a distortion
of the real world. But it is important to reflect on them and decide whether the blind
spots are acceptable given the declared purpose that one seeks to achieve. To me, a
mind-set suitable for guiding transformational strategies for sustainable development can only be one that helps illuminate the qualities of human–human, human–
nature, and human–technology relations so they can be governed toward thriving in
harmony. The monetized growth imaginary of the mainstream economic paradigm
fails miserably. The recoupling imaginary qualifies. It can become the radical
backbone of a new narrative that organizes incremental transformation strategies for
sustainable development.
5.3 Summarizing Outlook
Given the magnitude of change required to reach sustainable development, a focus
on ideas and paradigms may seem a bit lofty. But a systematic exposure of the blind
spots in the paradigm most influential in imagining futures today enables critical
reassessments of common sense and the way the institutions built around it shape
developments. Opening up today’s SETS’s to understand on which basic ideas
individual positions as well as institutional designs rest will also shed a different
light on joint interests, decision-making patterns, and coalitions—especially in
contrast to the typical container concepts of ‘government,’ ‘business,’ ‘civil society,’ ‘science,’ and ‘media.’ While these institutions have been set up for particular
purposes and thus carry mandates and role expectations (some of the famous path
dependencies) that differ from each other, the way that individuals carry them out
will depend on their respective mind-sets, evidence sourcing, and ethics.
Deciphering political dynamics by using such paradigmatic factors rather than
institutional affiliation is thus very helpful for the transformative literacy needed to
conduct system innovations. Also, on the individual level I believe that once we
have started to see the world differently, the old ways will not feel ‘right’—or at
162
5 How to Work a Great Mindshift for Sustainability Transformations