Other Publications

T-Labs: A Practical Guide Using Transformation Labs (T-Labs) for innovation in social-ecological systems Pathways Network, September 2018 Between 2016 and 2018, the Pathways Network aimed to investigate new approaches for…

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The activities described in this guide are designed to support participatory research in the search for transformative pathways to social-ecological system sustainability. The guide offers activities with practical examples to…

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Since 1974, Professor Erik Millstone has been conducting research into the causes and consequences of scientific and technological change in food and agriculture. In 1987 he joined SPRU where his…

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A printable A4 poster with a simple summary of some key ideas based on the STEPS Centre’s pathways approach to sustainability. Download (PDF)

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Published: 10th May 2017

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts forward a broad and ambitious agenda for global action on sustainable development. The scale and ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals require innovation…

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Final report of the Nexus Network, a network funded by the Economic and Social Research Council to support transdisciplinary research on Nexus and sustainability issues.

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Published: 15th July 2016

In June 2016, the Least Developed Countries Independent Expert Group, IIED, and the ESRC STEPS Centre hosted a dialogue for Least Developed Country (LDC) experts to discuss how the Sustainable…

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This report provides an overview of a workshop on Makerspaces held in London, which involved around 80 participants from the UK and Europe.

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Published: 1st December 2015

by Sam Geall and Lulu Ning Hui with additional contributions from Isabel Hilton, Richard Black, Monica Wang, Yu Jie, Adrian Ely, David Tyfield and Frauke Urban How is China shifting…

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Published: 16th October 2015

This article by Mariano Fressoli (STEPS América Latina) and Adrian Smith (SPRU/STEPS) considers whether 3D printing signals a technological revolution for Latin America. Published in the 50th Anniversary issue of…

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Published: 30th September 2015

IDS Evidence Report 152 by Ian Scoones and Hubert Schmitz Accelerating sustainability is a challenge that defines our era and is a central theme of Institute of Development Studies research….

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Published: 3rd June 2015

The Pathways to Sustainability Global Consortium unites five continents with one vision: to tackle the most pressing sustainability challenges facing the world now and in decades to come. This new…

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Download PDF (227kb) This document outlines initial thoughts regarding a possible associated research project on transformations to sustainable food systems in Brighton and Hove, based on discussions at a co-design…

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Published: 18th May 2015

Download PDF (157kb) China’s past three decades of rapid economic growth have brought many out of poverty and expanded energy access considerably. China is today the world’s largest energy consumer…

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Published: 24th April 2015

Download PDF 一个新宣言 (A New Manifesto) 我们生活在一个科学技术以前所未有的速度进步的时代。世界变得更加全球化和相互联系。然而贫穷在不断加剧,环境在不断恶化,朝着联合国新千年发展目标(Millennium Development Goals)的进步停滞不前。全球每年在研究与开发的开支超过了10,000亿美元,其中军事和安全相关的应用是所有花费中最大的一笔单一开支。然而每一天在世界贫穷的地区中,有数千名儿童死于饮水产生的疾病,数百万的人们处于饥饿中,数千名妇女死于怀孕期或难产。同时,我们的下一代面临着巨大的社会、环境和经济等各种挑战,例如气候变化。然而全球治理、经济和政治系统与穷国和穷人的利益背道相驰,进一步使得不平等恶化。 应对这些相互联系的全球性挑战,如减少贫困、实现社会公平和环境可持续性,是我们这个时代重要的道德和政治使命。科学、技术和许多种类的创新在这个过程中发挥着不可或缺的重要作用。但是除了许多其它方面的渠道之外,STEPS中心认为只有我们根本性地转变如何思考创新和执行创新的方式,才能实现这个重要的使命。这里所指的“创新”,我们是指做事情的新方式。这不仅仅包括科学技术本身,而且更为重要的是,还包括那些影响科学和技术方式、目的、应用和结果的新想法、新制度、新实践、行为和社会关系等集合总称。这个观点的核心是,从仅仅被定义为“变化的规模或速度”的进步—即在某些被假设为单一轨道的竞赛中关于谁“领先”或谁“落后”的意识中,向更宽的范围拓展。不同的是,创新的注意力必须集中在科学、技术和相关制度变化等许多其他可替代的方向(direction)上。简而言之,我们需要一个新的创新政治学。这不是关于“抵制”或者“反对”科学技术,而是关于强调显示的选择问题:“哪种科学”“什么技术”,特别是“谁的创新”及“什么样的变化”?换句话说,我们需要培育更多的“多样性”(diverse)、更加公平的“分配”(distribution)形式,以及创新的“方向”(directions),以期实现更好的社会公平。这个全球创新议程转变的中心是更加尊重文化多元性、地区多样性和民主问责制。这样一种转变是可能的,事实上全球许多地方均采取了很多鼓舞人心的创举,使得创新的转变在发生。但是目前这些努力通常是碎片化的,得到很少支持,而被不对等的权势关系抵制更多。挑战这些 势力意味着促进创新,以确实地为现阶段被边缘化的人们和已被破坏的环境而工作。这要求开放新的政治空间,吸引社会运动、更小的企业和被排除在外的声音。这个结果将是更有力度的协商和论证研究和创新的许多可能的类型和方向。这同时也意味着创新形成的方式发生根本性的变化,该变化通过议程设定、资助、能力建设、组织安排和监督、评估和问责制。我们在最后的建议部分继续提议以上每一个具体的挑战。 这个新宣言清晰地提出了一个政治立场,这可以针对这些创新的挑战、从单一研究中心特殊的优势地位提出的建议看出。然而,我们的目标不是断言单一的观点。更为重要的是,我们希望帮助催生和激发针对创新的全球模式和创新方向问题更有生力和明晰的政治辩论。从这个意义上说,我们为New Manifesto提供了一个链接的网站,以提供更多的详细案例和分析。详情点击网址:www.anewmanifesto.org。 在真诚地达成一个代表性的意见综合的同时,本宣言的产生还从许多同事、合作者和批评者处学习到很多,也深表感谢。大多数建议均非常有价值,这些包括来自多个国家20个圆桌会议数百名参加者,他们来自世界各地:从中国到委内瑞拉、从印度到津巴布韦、从尼日利亚到斯里兰卡等。作为我们New Manifesto发起活动的一个更为宽广的部分,STEPS中心承诺帮助促进进一步的对话与关于对创新的辩论。我们使用我们自己的网站作为多元化声音的平台—当然也包括那些对我们观点持批评态度的声音。我们表示遗憾,限于我们的中文语言能力,目前我们仅仅能够欢迎您对(新的苏塞克斯)宣言的网页采用英语语言来做出贡献。我们的目标不仅仅是为了激发辩论,而且是催生实际行动。这当然不可避免的在不同地方将产生对照和差异。我们的希望是:和全球其它类似的发起活动一起—这将帮助创新促进更加多元化、公平分配方式和结果。

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Published: 15th April 2015

Download (PDF) The dominant agricultural production system in Argentina and other parts of Latin America is based on high external input, intensive, large scale commodity crop production for export (e.g….

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Published: 9th April 2015

Download PDF (250 KB) Although millions of dollars have been pumped into assisting those living at the base/bottom of the pyramid to transit from inefficient energy use to more efficient…

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Published: 9th April 2015

Download PDF (287 KB) Mexico City, Phoenix, and other populous cities around the world are caught in a complex of problems concerning the quality and quantity of water, and its…

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Published: 27th March 2015

Download PDF (326 KB) Urban areas in India suffer significant challenges associated with water and waste, with direct implications for agriculture, health and food safety. Local innovations, often in informal…

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Published: 10th March 2011

The Water Cookbook presents ideas from our project on peri-urban sustainability in Ghaziabad, India. It is a short graphic novel combining pictures with some brief stories from daily life in…

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Published: 18th April 2013

A collection of essays, edited by Robert Doubleday and James Wilsdon A collection of essays based on a recent series of seminars to stimulate fresh thinking and practical recommendations on…

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Published: 25th January 2013

This report details discussions at the Pandemic Flu Controversies workshop held on 10-11 January 2013, organised by the STEPS Centre and University of Sussex Centre for Global Health Policy. There…

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Published: 8th January 2013

A background report for the Political Ecologies of Carbon in Africa research project. This report provides a mapping of the status and characteristics of forest carbon projects in Africa in late…

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Published: 7th June 2012

The Beyond Rio Resource Centre offers information and insight to those interested in new thinking and practical solutions for sustainable futures. A wide variety of resources are featured, from academic papers…

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The STEPS Centre hosts a website dedicated to our project Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto. On the website you can find a multimedia version of the New Manifesto, a…

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Published: 8th July 2010

Update on progress on the STEPS Centre’s Rethinking Regulation project.

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Published: 1st March 2010

Debates about transgenic (genetically-modified) crops have become highly polarised across the globe. In the process, civil society organisations and social movements have played an important role in debates on agricultural…

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Published: 15th June 2010

The product of our Manifesto project, Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto recommends new ways of linking science and innovation to development for a more sustainable, equitable and resilient future….

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Published: 15th June 2010

Our Manifesto project publication is available in print, on CD or to view online. Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto recommends new ways of linking science and innovation to development…

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