oikos Annual Report 2016

Discover more here: https://oikos-international.org/ar2016 

Author image

oikos International

posted March 23, 2017

This might be for you.

Addressing sustainability and inequality at a global level : how other worlds (may) emerge

Increased global interconnectivity has encouraged a prevalence of forums that seek to organise and facilitate action on sustainability and inequality on a global scale. A body of work has examined such global forums and the theoretical contexts in which they operate but there is little which examines the nature of engagement through these forums to address issues of sustainability and inequality. This thesis explores social actors’ participation in two global forums, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the World Social Forum (WSF), with the aim of creating more sustainable and equal worlds. It has been structured around four overarching research questions as follows. RQ1. What are the perceived relationships between dominant and dominated social actors in global sustainability debates? RQ2. How do different social actors perceive the global field as embodied by the two world forums? RQ3. How do different social actors perceive the struggle in the field, and the strategies adopted? RQ4. How do different social actors perceive the lasting impact of their own participation in the field? Using Bourdieu’s social theory, I propose that the research settings of WEF and WSF are enactments and representations of a global field of power (RQ1). In this global field of power, social actors use global capital, a form of symbolic capital, to define the doxa of the field, that is, the taken-for-granted assumptions about issues of sustainability and inequality that require response, how they are defined and how they should be resolved (RQ2). I discuss the tensions and dilemmas of social actors as they enact strategies within the field to promote conservation, succession and/or subversion of the doxa in relation to these issues of sustainability and inequality (RQ3). The nature and extent of shifts in the global field of power as perceived by social actors is shown, with the aim that such shifts will support the creation of other more sustainable and equal worlds (RQ4). The empirical material gives participant impressions of their own involvement, which has implications for the identities, roles and activities of global social actors.

Author image

oikos International

posted March 21, 2017

This might be for you.

From Eco to Common Sense: Sustainability in the Fashion Industry Was Discussed at oikos Winter School

From 5 to 11 March 2017 oikos Winter School took place in Witten, Germany. The Winter School was titled “You call it Eco. We call it common sense. Sustainability in the fashion industry” and explored a role and impact of the apparel industry on sustainable development. About 30 participants and a dozen of speakers from all walks of life spent the week amidst heated debates, discussing the current situation in the industry and possible solutions to its countless problems.

The many drawbacks of the fashion industry are exemplified by widespread media coverage, distressing reports of various NGOs and scientific research and data, all of which include numerous accounts ranging from human rights violations to environmental damage.

Bearing in mind the challenges posed by the textile industry, the oikos team at the University of Witten/Herdecke created a unique atmosphere for avid young people by enabling them to gain insights from the representatives of the industry’s conventional players (H & M Hennes & Mauritz AG, KiK), innovators (ARMEDANGELS), NGOs (FOUR PAWS, FEMNET), consultancies, that provide expertise and advice on the sustainability (twentyfifty, Impactt GoBlu) and academia (Prof. Franz Josef Radermacher, Social Entrepreneurship Akademie, AMD Academy of Fashion and Design). The speakers were instrumental in putting forward the big picture of the industry to the participants. It allowed them to come up with their unique understanding of the issues at hand and encouraged them to combine three dimensions of sustainability – society, ecology and economy, while developing strategies and possible solutions to eliminate the problems.

oikos Winter School incorporated panels, workshops and practical sessions with social activities to facilitate friendships and formal connections between the like-minded people.

The Winter School proved a success thanks to the passionate participants, diligent organizers and professional speakers who attempted to disentangle vague Eco label and integrate sustainability into a common consciousness.

Author image

oikos International

posted March 17, 2017

This might be for you.

Panel Discussion on Responsible Finance

Join oikos Brussels on March 29th for their debate on responsible finance. Find more information on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/236377500161145/. Mind that you need to register.

Vous qui pensez que la finance n’est réservée qu’aux matheux et qu’elle est encore loin d’être transparente et éthique, laissez-nous vous démontrer le contraire lors de la conférence-débat gratuite organisée par oikos en collaboration avec 5 intervenants. Nous vous ferons ainsi découvrir de beaux projets et vous verrez que la finance responsable, c’est bien l’affaire de tous 🙂 !

L’équipe oikos Brussels a le plaisir de vous inviter à la conférence- débat que nous organisons en collaboration avec la Banque Triodos, la coopérative NewB, le réseau Financité, la plateforme de crowdfunding Ekifin et Mme Dumas, professeur de Finance à l’ICHEC et qui sera modératrice du débat.

Nous vous attendons donc nombreux et motivés le mercredi 29 mars à 18h15 à l’ICHEC Montgomery, dans l’amphithéâtre. La conférence commencera à 18h30 avec les présentations de chaque intervenant et un mot d’introduction concernant la question : “Comment, en tant que citoyens, pouvons-nous avoir une finance plus responsable ?”

Après cette brève introduction, les intervenants présenteront leurs projets et leurs façons de proposer des alternatives à la finance traditionnelle. Après la présentation de 15-20 min de l’intervenant, vous aurez l’occasion de poser quelques questions avant de passer à l’intervenant suivant. Une fois toutes les interventions terminées, nous aurons encore 30 min de débat où vous pourrez poser davantage de questions ! Les intervenants étant tous des acteurs relativement différents, le débat sera recentré autour des questions : “Quels sont les obstacles auxquels l’acteur fait face pour convaincre ses potentiels clients?” “Quels sont les challenges?”.

Afin d’aviver votre curiosité et d’en apprendre davantage sur les intervenants, nous vous invitons fortement à remplir notre questionnaire https://goo.gl/forms/WRsIUR3z6XdVnyxy2

Pour communiquer vos questions durant la conférence, vous pourrez soit lever votre main ou, si vous êtes plus timides, la communiquer par message privé sur notre page facebook.

Et afin d’être informé de nos prochaines activités, n’oubliez pas de liker notre page !

Nous aurons le plaisir d’avoir Simon Chamoun Photography qui s’occupera d’immortaliser notre évènement.

Au plaisir d’en apprendre davantage,

Author image

oikos International

posted March 15, 2017

This might be for you.

oikos Newsletter March 2017

Warmer days have come with March already here! While you book your tickets for the Spring Meeting in Hamburg to #UseYourPower, don’t forget to check out how to compensate your CO2 emissions. Read more about it in our Podio Intranet, where you can now also look out for a carpool or a couch to sleep. Thanks to the dozens of active contributors in our Intranet, good news now spread faster: Did you know, you can now plant a tree with every couple of web searches with Ecosia? Assignment writing just became a force for good! If you can’t make it to Hamburg, look out for other possibilities to stay in touch, like the Webinar on “Leading for More Sustainable Education” with Geoff Scott. Lastly, read all about the Asia Meet in the 30 Seconds section.
Don’t forget that 2017 is also the year that marks 30 years of oikos. We have a lot of exciting activities planned, so stay updated by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Read the whole Newsletter here.

Author image

oikos International

posted March 9, 2017

This might be for you.

The Transition to Renewable Energy: Don’t Expect a Revolution

The second oikos alumni debate online took place on February 22nd and as with the first, it was a true oikos product: made by alumni for alumni. The evening was guided by the title: “Renewing Global Energy: Revolution or Evolution?”. Three panelists shared their insights with interested alumni and replied openly to their questions: Nils Bennemann, Ralph Ripken and Aanal Patwari. The debate was moderated by Benedikt Lemke.

Solar, wind, thermal, biomass: Renewable energy (RE) has spread widely. Whether humongous wind farms are built off the European coasts or solar panels powering single households are installed on Kenya’s rooftops: many factors have pushed and pulled renewable technologies into the spotlight.

But how far have we come? And what factors determine whether the world will transition to RE quickly enough to halt rising temperatures? Three experts, all oikos alumni, took to the virtual panel on February 22nd to discuss with12 moderator and wind engineer Benedikt Lemke, if the future would bring an RE “revolution” or rather a slow-paced “evolution”. From Dubai’s Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), oikos Ahmedabad alumna Aanal Patwari called in, while oikos St. Gallen’s Ralph Ripken (E4Tech) and oikos London’s Nils Bennemann (Greencoat Capital) joined from London.

Hard to implement RE? Not if you do it right!

The panelists moved right into the core of the night’s topic: With the technology to run the world on renewables mostly in place, what makes it so hard to implement it? Surprisingly, and somewhat comforting, the three experts did not share the negative sentiment of the question. While it was true, they confirmed, that the technology behind RE had become affordable and facilities often very profitable to run, implementation does not have to prove hard. Aanal stressed that she sensed a lack of awareness for the need to switch to renewables, especially in developing countries and the UAE, where she is based. Without demand from an informed public and the readiness to pay a premium however, the transition is almost impossible; prices for RE would need to drop below the price for energy from fossils. In many places, this is not far from reality (hyperlink to article). Ralph quickly identified the current energy infrastructure as an impediment to implementation. Especially the grids, the power lines bridging electricity from production sites to the consumer, were not made to deal with the varying influx from solar and wind, which only produce electricity when it’s sunny or windy.

The potential of energy efficiency should not be underestimated

Developing interstate grid-sharing – making it possible to decrease the pressure on the grid, when supply from renewable energy sources is high, and adding electricity from outside, when demand exceeds the production from renewables – is an important step to change this. Many European countries have already established such a mechanism, but so far countries charge when a partner is in desperate need of energy, but remunerates nothing, in case excess energy has to be pumped into a neighboring grid.

Even though the immense infrastructure needs will make the transition to RE an evolutionary process, there is revolutionary potential, knows Nils. Firstly, the decreasing prices for panels over the past years show that, with the right incentives, markets will adopt cleaner technology. Secondly, the efficiency gains from technological advancements in all areas, from burning fossil fuels to harnessing wind, were impressive. But because they have been absorbed quickly, they remain invisible: “They are in themselves revolutionary, but only bring about change on an incremental basis.” Ralph added that, in developed countries, the infrastructure of the three big energy consumers transport, heat, and power, is so advanced that only incremental changes are possible. “The only way to accelerate the renewal is through disruptors, as Tesla has been for the transport sector.”

Policy is a catalyst that can accelerate and stifle the transition

Tesla not only built pressure on the leading car manufacturers to put their technology on par, but electric driving has ultimately become associated with a good lifestyle. But are disruptors like Tesla really changing markets or is it reactive policy that brings the change to scale? From the experience of all three panelists, policy is merely a catalyst – one that can accelerate or stifle the reaction, as Nils’ example shows:

When in summer 2015, the UK announced various cuts to wind energy subsidies, it left investors and consumers perplexed and may have limited their interest to invest in the next generation of RE. On the other hand, disruptions alone cannot suffice. Germany’s market leader in large-scale end-consumer batteries, sonnen, was serving a niche. With an alteration to Germany’s subsidy system – decreasing the remuneration for feeding home produced solar energy into the grid – it made sense to store the energy locally instead of selling it, giving sonnen an upswing.

All three panelists are professionally engaged, in promoting, financing, and managing renewable energy sources. But Benedikt wanted to know, what are their private efforts? What can they (and ultimately all of us) do to ensure a quicker transition to RE?

Increasing energy efficiency and improving the carbon footprint of housing would be a great place to start. To their own disappointment, neither owns a house on which to install solar panels or under which to create a thermal heating. In Aanal’s case, her being an expat living temporarily in Dubai makes it even more difficult. As the landlords in the Emirates put little trust in their foreign tenants, almost never do they decide to refurbish the energy environment of their apartments. Nils has found another great way to put his money where his mouth is and invests in the funds of his employer, which apart from production facilities, also invest into technology to use resources and energy more efficiently. But it’s not only about feeling good about one’s self, he thinks, “for our generation, there is a lot of business opportunity in it.”

Making the connection to the oikos mission, Benedikt finally asked about the right way to teach our students about the energy transition. Aanal hopes that the world makes use of the high potential the younger generation has: “They are smarter than us in a lot of cases. They come up with the new technologies.”, she said. The DEWA fosters the drive for innovation by running an accelerator program and an innovation hub.

With a lot of openness, the panelists tried to answer as many questions from the audience as possible, before everyone logged off. This again was a great way to reconnect among alumni. The event brought together those interested in the topic to discuss global trends and the particularities of their regions. Some alumni met again after 7 years, others decided to get in touch to finally meet up again. This reflects well the spirit of this program: creating a network for oikos alumni interested/working in the same field. We thank the moderator and the three panelists for their commitment.

Author image

oikos International

posted March 7, 2017

This might be for you.

Together We Can: Kolkata Hosted oikos Asia Meet 2017

From 18 to 20 February oikos Asia Meet 2017 took place in Kolkata, India. The event gathered participants from all over Asia and united them under the theme Together We Can. oikos Asia Meet 2017 facilitated networking of the oikos regional chapters and served as a platform for sharing best practices and lessons learned in sustainability from developed nations for developing nations and vice-versa.

oikos Asia Meet 2017 combined thought-provoking debates with invigorating activities to generate novel ideas and proposals in the field of sustainable development.

A panel discussion – East or West: Best practices in Sustainability was moderated by Prof. Runa Sarkar, IIM Calcutta. Panelists included Mr. Rustam Sengapta (social enterprise #Boond), Mr. Anurag Danda (WWF), Prof. Ranjan Mitter, Dr. Samir Narayan Choudhary (Child in Need Institute (CINI)) and Levan Pangani​ (oikos International). The distinguished panelists spoke about their respective fields of work and explained how sustainable development or lack of it manifests itself day in and day out effecting lives of millions of people around the world. The panel’s different perspectives on sustainability reflected their diverse background and experience. Nevertheless the panel was unanimous in pointing out that differences between East and West fade away when faced with the challenges posed by the ever-changing circumstances. Sustainable development affects everyone and in that requires urgent contribution from everyone.

The panel and participants, supported by IIM Calcutta based organization Izifiso, visited Mousuni Island, where floods caused by climate change have devastated its residents and rendered their land barren. The situation seems even more drastic considering the prevalent poverty and the residents’ dependency on agriculture and fishing. After the visitors familiarized with the island and its pitfalls, they alongside with the natives engaged in talks to come up with solutions that could alleviate the problem.

Beyond the major events, the participants also had the opportunity to learn about oikos International, enjoy a boat trip to Mousuni Island (see video here) and taste delicious Indian food. Moreover, the top 5 teams out of 120 registrations presented their ideas in the final round of the case competition on CSR funding for solar micro-grid companies.

For brief but fruitful three days oikos Asia Meet 2017 united people with shared understanding of the importance of sustainable development who believe that indeed Together We Can.

Author image

oikos International

posted March 7, 2017

This might be for you.