Active8 planet’s matrix: the way to an ethical and balanced future?
There once was…
…a 6-year old me who visited a bulb park for waste sorting (see image 1) on a school trip and images of the famine in Ethiopia started to appear, which left a big impression and was a tipping point in my childhood.
From that moment on, I saw it as my mission to keep a watchful eye on the separation of household waste, and food waste was for me a big no-go. To the point of annoyance of my housemates, I took my role as “trash can police” very seriously. I certainly had my priorities straight as a child.
And now we’re here // purpose
40 years later, under the wings of Griet Verbeeck, I am working, together with Hasselt University on Active8 Planet’s matrix, supporting a methodology to properly apply sustainability in higher education. I guess my priorities didn’t change much over time.
The more I immerse myself in the research, the more that feeling of injustice and wanting to take care of people and the environment becomes inevitable. Just like when I was a child. I carried this urge to make a difference also as a student, as an architect, as a teacher and as a business leader.
Designing for the sake of designing did not give me fulfillment. Doing business for the sake of doing business did not give me satisfaction. Making a positive impact, helping to eliminate waste, acting to give people equal opportunities, to let them discover their talents and to inspire them. That is what gave, and still gives, me tons of energy and is something I want to put my mind to. Everyday.
My way of thinking wasn’t always popular, I admit. I also received lots of support, but when it came to the social dimension of my approach, a link with amateurism was often made. More than once I received remarks such as: “Evy, are we talking about a company or a hobby club here?”, “You won’t be able to pay your bills with that”… But along the way, you meet people who are looking for that exact same balance between the (social/ecological dimension) purpose and profit.
Progress is being made on a global scale
It took some time (read: several decades), but it looks like we’re finally moving forward when it comes to sustainability. With the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN is clearly putting social and sustainable issues on the agenda. The EU follows with the Green Deal. And then there is the great Kate Raworth who managed to bring social and ecological dimensions together in a simple, economic model. And so, she creates a clear framework of thought that can guide governments, businesses & civil society organizations and many more in their decisions and actions.
The goal of Raworth’s model is to put two very important values in the picture in every decision you make. A sustainable, clean and green earth on the one hand, and an inclusive, equitable and ethical society on the other. The matrix visually represents the boundaries of the earth’s possibilities and the basic needs of the people living on it. In between these 2 boundaries there’s a – you’ll never guess – doughnut shaped area. When you accomplish all 12 social elements of the inner circle (such as housing, gender equality, education etc.) without crossing the border of the ecological ‘ceiling’ (such as biodiversity loss, climate change etc.) you have reached a prosperous and just economy. It might sound like a utopia on a global scale. But nothing’s impossible, right?
Active8 planet’s matrix explained
Therefore in Active8 planet, we are designing a matrix for teaching sustainability at Hei’s and we took the DEAL approach as the starting point. DEAL stands for Doughnut Economics Action Lab.
In this approach, the ecological and social dimensions are not only analyzed and evaluated on a local scale, but also globally. Something we undeniably learned from the covid pandemic is that what we do on a local scale can have a huge impact on the other side of the world. So we look at a given challenge from four different lenses. Social, ecological, local and global.
In Active8-Planet, we propose a challenge-based approach to teaching and learning. By introducing a challenge, students will engage more quickly by relating to personal experiences, motives, or passionas, resulting in a greater chance of success. By working across the established boundaries of the study programmes and approaching a challenge from different angles, we create added value. Not just financially, but also socially and ecologically.
At the start of the challenge-exploration process, the matrix can serve as a tool to inspire and broaden the scope. While at the same time, it provides a clear focus on where we set the bar. In the course of a student project, it’s ideal to take a look at the state of affairs and make adjustments where necessary. In the final phase, the matrix is the basis for the evaluation of the students’ work.
The application of the matrix regarding a furniture design challenge, for example, would deal with the choice of materials, production techniques, transport, business model, etc., while meeting ecological standards, both locally and globally. But also aspects with impact on people, behaviour, such as working conditions and health, that specify the social dimension need to be taken into account at a local and global level.
Long story short
It is certainly not easy to take the social and ecological aspects into account and actively apply them in practice. My own career path is a great example of this. Despite the challenge, I now do notice that more and more people are drawing attention to this new way of thinking and that it will become increasingly important. Our students applying this matrix to their projects, will become ‘planeteers’, pioneers. Our matrix is essential to offer a ready-to-use, low-threshold platform on which people can build their own sustainable action and enterprise.