CEP successfully adapts FORENV interactive sense-making workshops for online delivery

CEP successfully adapts interactive sense-making workshops for online delivery as part of our role as secretariat for the EU Foresight System for the detection of emerging environmental issues (FORENV)

In our role of providing the secretariat for the EU Commission’s new EU Foresight System for the detection of emerging environmental issues (FORENV), CEP has designed and moderated four online sense-making workshops.  These workshop are part of the third annual cycle of FORENV, which is running from September 2020 – September 2021, and is focusing on the topic ‘Emerging issues that will impact our ability to deliver a zero-pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment by 2050’.

In the first two annual cycles of FORENV (2018-19 and 2019-20) these workshops were held physically in Copenhagen, Brussels and Ispra (Italy).  Responding to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions it was necessary in the third annual cycle to redesign the workshops to be delivered online.  Through this adaptation the workshops were delivered in a highly participatory and interactive manner.  We were also able to make use of a state-of-the-art media facility hosted by our partner on this project, Cranfield University, which enhanced the experience for participants leading to successful outcomes for the project.

The workshops were held on the 12th and 16th of April and engaged approximately 40 experts from the European Commission, EU Member States, NGOs and research institutions.

Across the workshops approximately 130 ‘weak signals’ of change related to the topic were discussed, clustered and prioritised.  CEP led the organisation of the workshops and moderated them with support from our partners Cranfield University, Milieu Ltd and representatives of the European Commission.

Drawing on the workshop outcomes, up to 10 priority emerging issues will be proposed for further consideration in the next steps of the FORENV system.

For further information please contact Owen White (Technical Director) or Paula Orr (Technical Director).

CEP WORKING ON SECOND ANNUAL CYCLE OF THE EU FORESIGHT SYSTEM FOR EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

CEP is supporting the characterisation of priority emerging issues as part of the second annual cycle of the EU foresight system to detect emerging environmental issues

 In our role of providing the secretariat for the EU Commission’s Foresight System for the detection of emerging environmental issues (FORENV), CEP is now leading the characterisation of ten priority emerging issues.

Now in its’ second annual cycle, this cycle of FORENV is focussing on identifying and characterising Emerging - economic, business, technological and social - innovations in the Green economy of the Future.  This topic was selected by the European Commission and relates to the need to move away from the current linear (take-make-dispose) economy to one that is climate neutral and in which growth is decoupled from resource use, as reflected in the European Green Deal.  The importance of understanding and planning for emerging risks is also highlighted by the current Covid-19 pandemic.

CEP facilitated a series of sense-making workshops held in January and February 2020 from which the ten priority emerging issues were identified.  The issues represent a range of social, technological and economic developments that may become more important in coming years and decades, with implications for Europe’s environment and policy.  For example, how might the sharing economy evolve and develop, in what ways will society and communities interact with a new circular economy, and what might be the future green economy tax and finance regime?

More information on FORENV can be found on the European Commission website, where a short video presenting the FORENV method is also now available.

The final report for the first annual cycle has been published, together with infographics for each of the 10 emerging issues to help communicate the FORENV process and outcomes to a wide audience.

The methodology used for FORENV, which was developed for the European Commission through a project led by CEP, has also been published.

For further information please contact Owen White (Technical Director) or Paula Orr (Technical Director).

CEP LEADING EU SENSE-MAKING WORKSHOPS ON EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

CEP TO LEAD FOUR SENSE-MAKING WORKSHOPS AS PART OF OUR ROLE AS SECRETARIAT FOR THE EU FORESIGHT SYSTEM FOR THE DETECTION OF EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (FORENV)

In our role of providing the secretariat for the EU Commission’s new EU Foresight System for the detection of emerging environmental issues (FORENV), CEP will be moderating four sense-making workshops.  The workshops will be held between the 29th January and 5th February 2020 in Copenhagen (Denmark), Ispra (Italy), and in Brussels (Belgium), and will bring together approximately 40 experts from the Commission, EU Member States, research institutions and the third sector.

The workshops are being organised as part of the second annual cycle of FORENV, which is running from September 2019 – September 2020, and is focusing on the topic ‘Emerging innovations in the Green economy of the future’.  Across the workshops almost 200 ‘weak signals’ of change related to this topic will be discussed, clustered and prioritised.  Each session will be run in a participatory way to engage and draw on the knowledge of participants.  CEP have led the organisation of the workshops and will be moderating them with support from our partners Cranfield University, Milieu Ltd and representatives of the European Commission.

Drawing on the workshop outcomes, up to 10 priority emerging issues will be proposed for further consideration in the next steps of the FORENV system.

For further information please contact Owen White (Technical Director) or Paula Orr (Technical Director).

First annual cycle of the EU foresight system for emerging environmental issues completed

CEP successfully supports first annual cycle of the EU foresight system to detect emerging environmental issues (FORENV)

In 2018 CEP, with colleagues from Milieu (Belgium), Cranfield University (UK), the German Federal Environment Agency and Vision Communication (Spain), were commissioned by the European Commission DG Environment to run the EU foresight system to detect emerging environmental issues. Named FORENV, the project aims to ‘improve the understanding of policy-makers of emerging environmental issues by supporting yearly cycles of the system set up by the Environment Knowledge Community (EKC) for the identification of emerging environmental issues and related risks and opportunities (FORENV)’.

FORENV runs on an annual cycle, and CEP’s role is to:

• Conduct a broad scanning to compile and characterise at least 100 weak signals of emerging issues for Europe’s environment.

• Organise and facilitate participatory sense-making workshops, which will help identify ten priority emerging environmental issues, including related risks and opportunities.

• Characterise the identified emerging issues and define related risks and opportunities for the environment, through recent scientific literature and expert involvement.

• Inform policy-makers, stakeholders and the public on the identified emerging issues through appropriate reporting and communications.

The first annual cycle (2018 – 2019) has now been successfully completed.  In its first year FORENV focussed on identifying emerging issues at the environment-social interface.  The 10 priority emerging issues identified include topics such as: digitalisation and mobile communications as drivers of change in citizen activism, consumption behaviours and the way that people connect with nature; the emergence and divergence of new consumption patterns; the implications of populism and protectionism for international cooperation on environmental issues; and the role cities might play as ‘living labs’ to test social and technological innovations.

A final report for the first annual cycle has been published, together with infographics for each of the 10 emerging issues to help communicate the FORENV process and outcomes to a wide audience.

For further information please contact Owen White (Technical Director) or Paula Orr (Technical Director).

CEP leading EU sense-making workshops on emerging environmental issues

CEP to lead four sense-making workshops as part of our role as secretariat for the EU Foresight System for the detection of emerging environmental issues (FORENV)

In our role of providing the secretariat for the EU Commission’s new EU Foresight System for the detection of emerging environmental issues (FORENV), CEP will be moderating four sense-making workshops.  The workshops will be held between the 11th and 17th January 2019 in Ispra (Italy), Copenhagen (Denmark) and two in Brussels (Belgium), and will bring together 40 experts from the Commission, EU Member States and research institutions.

The workshops are being organised as part of the first annual cycle of FORENV, which is running from September 2018 – September 2019, and is focusing on the topic ‘Emerging issues at the environment-social interface’.  Across the workshops almost 200 ‘weak signals’ of change related to this topic will be discussed, clustered and prioritised.  Each session will be run in a participatory way to engage and draw on the knowledge of participants.  CEP have led the organisation of the workshops and will be moderating them with support from our partners Cranfield University, Milieu Ltd and representatives of the European Commission.

Drawing on the workshop outcomes, up to 10 priority emerging issues will be proposed for further consideration in the next steps of the FORENV system.

For further information please contact Owen White (Technical Director) or Paula Orr (Technical Director).

CEP to run EU foresight system on emerging environmental issues

CEP to provide the secretariat for new EU foresight system to detect emerging environmental issues (FORENV)

CEP has been commissioned by the European Commission DG Environment to run a new EU foresight system to detect emerging environmental issues. Named FORENV, the project aims to ‘improve the understanding of policy-makers of emerging environmental issues by supporting yearly cycles of the system set up by the Environment Knowledge Community (EKC) for the identification of emerging environmental issues and related risks and opportunities (FORENV)’.

CEP will be working, initially over the course of the next 12 months, with colleagues from Milieu (Belgium), Cranfield University (UK), the German Federal Environment Agency and Vision Communication (Spain) to:

• Conduct a broad scanning to compile and characterise at least 100 weak signals of emerging issues for Europe’s environment.

• Through a participatory sense-making exercise, identify ten emerging environmental issues, including related risks and opportunities on the basis of a broad range of sources and expertise.

• Characterise the identified emerging issues and define related risks and opportunities for the environment, through recent scientific literature and expert involvement.

• Inform policy-makers, stakeholders and the public on the identified emerging issues through appropriate reporting and communications.

The project follows on from an earlier project undertaken by CEP and Milieu to develop a participatory methodological framework for the systematic identification of emerging issues for the environment (and environmental policies). This project will put that methodology into practice.  Subject to the first year the contract will be renewable for up to a further three times (to 48 months) to continue the detection of new emerging issues that could impact the environment and environmental policies, in order to allow the European Commission to put in place appropriate responses where necessary.

For further information please contact Owen White (Technical Director) or Paula Orr (Technical Director).

CEP-led consortium awarded EEA framework contract on forward looking studies

CEP-led consortium awarded EEA framework contract on forward looking studies

A consortium led by CEP has been awarded a four year single supplier framework contract by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to provide expert assistance on forward looking analysis, sustainability assessments and systemic transitions. The contract will support the EEA in preparing the next report on the European environment’s state and outlook in 2020 (SOER 2020).  

This exciting opportunity for CEP builds on our work for the EEA over the last 15 years, including on the SOERs in 2010 and 2015. This specific contract adds to CEP’s track record of work related to forward looking analysis for both the EEA and the European Commission, including recent projects on identifying emerging environmental risks and the implications of global megatrends for Europe.

The scope of the work under the framework contract will include developing contextual and forward looking analyses of Europe's sustainability challenges and in increasing understanding about the environmental characteristics of core societal systems, opportunities and barriers to sustainability transitions, and the implications for EU policies. A particular focus will be on strategic and long-term policies and visions relating to the low-carbon and circular economy, natural capital and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), for example.

The CEP-led consortium includes experts from leading consultancies, research organisations, universities and agencies from across Europe.

For more information please contact Dr William Sheate (Contract Director) or Owen White (Contact Manager).