Speakers: Sofia Maniatakou, Nathalie Sänger, Jorge Martín Motta, Simone Sandholz, Laura Arévalos
Presentations:
Exploring the roles and capacities of large-scale actor coalitions for sustainability transformations
Sofia Maniatakou
Several transnational corporations, investors and philanthropic organizations have formed coalitions to respond to global social and environmental challenges of the Anthropocene. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified calls for such partnerships to increase transformative actions including new forms of governance and business models. Do these coalitions, consisting of large-scale actors, have the capacities to contribute to the fast, broad and deep transformations that are needed, or do they perpetuate the system dynamics that created the problem in the first place? In this paper we explore how large-scale actor coalitions (LSACs) may contribute to transformations towards equitable and sustainable futures. We use a “rapid assessment” 20-variable framework to collect and analyze empirical data from a total of five food and finance coalitions to identify their role and capacities for transformative change. To better understand how capacities might change according to certain conditions, we used additional data from the COVID-19 crisis. Our results indicate that LSACs take on several roles and implement distinct strategies to reach their goals. More specifically, LSACs raise awareness of sustainability issues, utilize ties to push forward agendas, and/or deal with push-back from actors that resist change. Our findings also show that LSACs responded differently to the COVID-19 disruption and were able to switch a variety of capacities when responding to the crisis. We contribute with a more nuanced understanding of the promises and pitfalls of LSACs in transformative processes, and conclude that a combination of strategies and capacities (reflected through diverse LSAC set-ups) may support transformative changes within the food and finance sectors.
Co-creating a Toolbox for building Transformative Coalitions: Lessons from Latin America
Nathalie Sänger, Jorge Martín Motta, Simone Sandholz, Laura Arévalos
Cities are responsible for 75% of carbon emissions. Rapid and radical decarbonization is needed to meet global emission targets, however this can only be sustainable if it is also socially just. Such a goal requires collaboration across urban dwellers. But how can urban actors succeed in building and sustaining diverse coalitions? The Transformative Urban Coalitions (TUC) project seeks to transform the social, technological, and political structures and value systems that have so far fostered high-carbon and resource-intensive urban developments. The project focuses on Latin America, where cities are already feeling the effects of the climate crisis in addition to structural problems like inequalities, poverty, and informality. In five urban labs in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, catalyst projects for transformation are being co-designed and co-implemented by multi-stakeholder coalitions involving the most vulnerable groups. The goal of the toolbox is to help urban actors steer their cities toward more just and carbon-free development trajectories. Tools include participatory design and mapping methodologies, awareness raising games and consensus building exercises that are developed and adapted in and with the urban labs to meet local needs. In parallel to its development the toolbox is also being researched for its effectiveness regarding contribution to transformative change in different urban contexts. Results are then constantly being fed back into the further development process. This presentation will discuss the opportunities and challenges arising from toolbox development process, with a focus on experiences from the Buenos Aires Urban Lab. in doing so, it will draw on experiences as well as on empirical data from the development and implementation process, The presentation ends with critical reflections on how processes of co-design and co-production of knowledge can reflect collective visions and build effective partnerships that enable transformative change toward sustainable and just urban futures.