Welcome to your future life
SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050
The SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050 network is seeking to explore new research questions on Sustainable Lifestyles that would be of use to the European Commission (see video). The CSCP has had the tremendous opportunity to successfully facilitate and document a Europe wide discussion on Sustainable Lifestyles. However, this also means that the SPREAD project as first conceived is winding down. Read below about the innovative what we achieved.
SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050 is one of the flagship projects at the CSCP. The project addresses the larger picture of a sustainable future and developed a roadmap to sustainable lifestyles in the year 2050. This roadmap as the final outcome of the SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050 European Social Platform project outlines opportunity spaces for government policy, business, innovation, design, civil society, citizens, and research to foster, enable and accelerate sustainable lifestyles across Europe. Achieving this vision is critical to Europe’s 2020 goals of building a future economy that is smart, sustainable and inclusive.
Big visions for a small footprint
The SPREAD project defined a sustainable lifestyle as requiring a total material footprint of 8000 kg per person. Four possible future lifestyle scenarios and pathways with potential to reach this goal were developed and analysed. Current trends and promising practices that have proven successful today are profiled.
Envisioning Sustainable Lifestyles in the mainstream
The aim of the scenarios is to help individuals and decision-makers visualize the 'unthinkable' and plan for more sustainable living options for the future. The four scenarios: (1) Transparency gets the prices right, (2) Wikidemocracy, (3) Rediscovery of local resources or (4) The “we-can” generation works together, are scenario elements with potential to mainstream current promising sustainable practice.
United Nations transformed to a 'United Cities'
With more than 50 visionary ideas each scenario sketches a possible timeline for a Europe of 2050 where a citizen need not consume between 27 and 40 thousand kg of material to meet their needs, but rather 8000 kg or less. One of such idea:
2040: The United Nations is practically transformed into United Cities, Towns and Regions as the significance of the nation state diminishes. A new Global Trade Council is formed through which micro nations manage trade and commerce.
To talk of the future as if it has already happened helps overcome apprehensions about the radical changes in life and help people become enthusiastic about embracing the changes that are coming.
Participate in Sustainable Lifestyles 2050
The international SPREAD consortium lead by the CSCP transformed these scenarios into the EU Sustainable Lifestyles Roadmap and Action Plan to 2050. These results will come to life as a preview of a sustainable future Europe at the end of November 2012 during the final project conference. This event presents a unique opportunity for policymakers, business leaders, innovators, designers, civil society, European citizens, and researchers to accelerate current work and activate new ideas within the Sustainable Lifestyles Roadmap Framework. Join us there!
Further information
The Conference
'Catalyzing Action:
EU Sustainable Lifestyles Roadmap & Action Plan to 2050'
26 & 27 november 2012
in Brussels
Register for this free event
Read the Conference Agenda
Learn more about the SPREAD project
at the SPREAD Website,
in our Publications-
or news section