futures

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.

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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 and Brussels-based MILIEU renew their commitment to collaborate

CEP AND MILIEU RENEW THEIR COMMITMENT TO COLLABORATE THROUGH SIGNING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

CEP and Milieu - a multi-disciplinary consultancy based in Brussels specialising in providing high quality legal and policy services primarily for public sector clients - have been collaborating for more than 14 years.  In acknowledgement of our longstanding working relationship and successful collaborations, we are delighted to announce that we have renewed our Memorandum of Understanding which covers our mutual commitment to collaborate where appropriate in the provision of environmental consultancy services and to share expertise, knowledge and resources.

CEP and Milieu have been working together since 2005.  During this period we have jointly delivered some exciting, innovative and influential projects for both the European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA).  This work includes projects related to: policy evaluation and impact assessment; SEA; state of the environment reporting; environmental futures assessment; climate proofing policy; water management; science-policy interface; and environmental governance.

Ric Eales, CEP’s Managing Director, commented:

We enjoy excellent relationships with many partners in the UK and across Europe, but our relationship with Milieu has been particularly rewarding and successful over the last 14 years.  Over this time we have worked together on numerous projects particularly for European institutions and the success of these collaborations is to a great extent down to our shared culture and commitment to delivering quality services to our clients.  We look forward to our relationship with Milieu continuing to grow and strengthen in the years to come”.

This agreement highlights CEP’s continuing commitment to service our European institution clients, such as the European Commission and European Environment Agency (EEA).  Our ongoing work for European institutions includes projects on important topics, such as urban sustainability, emerging environmental risks and foresight, improving access to environmental information and justice, and the effectiveness and implementation of environmental regulations.

 

For more information contacts Ric Eales (Managing Director) r.eales@cep.co.uk

CEP’s Owen White presenting at University of Westminster conference

Image: 'University of Westminster' by Matt Brown on Flickr (CC by 2.0)

Design After Planning – Examining the Shift from Epistemology to Topology

Owen White will be giving a presentation and participating in a panel discussion at a conference at the University of Westminster on 5th February 2016.

The conference will ‘explore the possibility of going beyond the limitations of liberal-modernist policy-making and urban planning, and the implications of doing so, if we start thinking of governance at different scales as a process of design’. Owen will be presenting the emerging results and lessons from the ongoing project CEP are delivering for the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment: to develop and test a methodology to help European member states explore and understand the implications of global megatrends for the environment and for policy at the national level. 

Owen’s presentation will focus on the approach adopted in developing the methodology and the outcomes to date, in particular: method proposals, balancing effectiveness and robustness with acceptability and usability; communicating complexity and uncertainty over diverging geographical and temporal scales; and the utility for decision making and policy planning and assessment at national level. Owen will also be part of a panel titled ‘new topologies of planning’.

Tickets for this event are available from this link.