Monday, May 17th - Pre-conference
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10.00 – 12.00 |
Pre-conference: Networking and mentoring of University of Helsinki & Invitation and registration to the pre-conference is closed. Session leaders Maija Taka & Johan Munck af Rosenschöld |
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8.45 – 9.00 |
Conference platform opens – landing quarter |
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9.00 – 11.15 |
Keynote presentations and panel discussion: Session chair: Professor of Sustainability Transformations and 9:00 Opening by Jari Niemelä, Rector (Special Duties) of the University of Helsinki,
10:00 Commentary: Strategic Urban Planner Alpo Tani, City of Helsinki 10:20 Panel with the presenters, moderated by Professor of Sustainability |
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11.15 – 12.15 |
Break |
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12.15 – 14.00 |
Parallel sessions #1, #5 and #9
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| 14.00 – 14.15 | Break |
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14.15 – 16.00 |
Parallel sessions #2, #7A and #10
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17.00 – 19.30 |
Natura Urbana by Professor Matthew Gandy (film duration: 1h 12min) Online screening of documentary film, followed by a discussion and Q&A session with |
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8.45 – 9.00 |
Conference platform opens – landing quarter |
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| 9.00 – 11.15 |
Keynote presentations and panel discussion, Wednesday: Session chair: Vice-president of research,
10:30-11:15 Q&A, moderated by vice-president, research Ossi Naukkarinen (Aalto University) |
| 11.15 – 12.15 | Break |
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12.15 – 14.00 |
Parallel sessions #3, #7B and #11
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| 14.00 – 14.15 | Break |
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14.15 – 16.00 |
Parallel sessions #4, #8 and #12
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16.00 – 16.30
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Closing of the conference and informal online discussion |
Tuesday, May 18th 2020 at 9.00-11.15 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session chair: Professor of Sustainability Transformations and Ecosystem Services Christopher Raymond, University of Helsinki
Opening
Keynotes
Commentary
Panel with the presenters, moderated by Professor of Sustainability Transformations and Ecosystem Services Christopher Raymond, University of Helsinki
Wednesday, May 19th 2021 at 9.00-11.15 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session chair: Vice-president of research, Professor Ossi Naukkarinen (Aalto University)
Opening
Opening by Aalto University President, Prof. Ilkka Niemelä
Keynotes
Q&A
Moderated by Vice-president of research, Professor Ossi Naukkarinen (Aalto University)
Tuesday, May 18th 2021 at 12.15 - 14.00 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Associate professor Markus Kröger, Doctoral Student Sophia Hagolani-Albov, Postdoctoral Researcher Ossi Ollinaho (University of Helsinki)
Assistant Professor Annukka Santasalo-Aarnio (Aalto University)
Description
The session is robust exploration of renewables, recycling, and new tech developments that could help to address the current forms of destructive and unsustainable extraction of raw materials.
The topic of extractivism is gaining more importance as a new key concept that helps to understand, at a deeper level, the causes of destructive resource extractive projects and overall political economic models built on this extractivist paradigm. There is a growing debate around how to find alternatives to destructive extractive processes, and how to identify and implement alternative ways to provide raw materials and create sustainable livelihoods and production processes. This session will focus on unsustainable extraction practices and the technological and political solutions that stand as alternatives in the face of extractivism. We invite presentations that explore renewables, recycling, new tech developments, and how these measures could be adopted to ameliorate the problems of extractivism. We want to explore the political, economic, and socio-environmental factors that could impede or support the adoption of these potential alternatives.
The session will create opportunities for dialogue and development of common vocabularies across disciplines. The conveners of this session come from diverse backgrounds including the social sciences, business, and engineering. We welcome a collaborative approach to a robust exploration of renewables, recycling, and new tech developments that could help to address the current destructive and unsustainable forms of extraction of raw materials—including, but not limited to, mining, agriculture, forestry. We strive to pave the way for future collaboration and looking at these issues from inter-, trans-, and multidisciplinary perspectives
Speakers and their presentation titles
Commentator Ulla Heinonen, Gaia Consulting Oy.
Tuesday, May 18th 2021 at 14.15-16 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Postdoctoral Researcher Ashraful Alam (Aalto University), University lecturer Eliisa Kylkilahti (University of Helsinki).
Description
The wider adoption of wood-based and hybrid building solutions in urban contexts will likely require changes in the operation and interactions of the several actors and institutions involved in construction, ranging from construction companies, wood element suppliers to urban planners, local and regional decision-makers and end-users. In this session, researchers from various disciplines will discuss and debate the possibilities for, and challenges related to the wider adoption of wood-based and hybrid building solutions. The focus is emphasized on the issues of and solution to carbon-neutral and circular cities in urban contexts. With the session, we hope to add to our understanding on the climate and other sustainability aspects of building up cities with wood, and how they link up with the efforts of the cities, including the dynamics involved in it. Especially studies analyzing or assessing the impacts of using wood in urban construction and their implications for climate and sustainability goals are discussed.
Speakers and their presentation titles
Wednesday, May 19th 2021 at 12.15-14.00 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session convener
Professor Ari Jokilaakso (Aalto University)
Description
The session is an opportunity for the researchers from different fields of materials engineering and processing to present their recent studies on improving the sustainability of metals production, with a particular emphasis on metals recovery, reuse and recycling as well as optimization of existing processes. It also serves as an overview of what is already going on for improving sustainability in metals processing.
The target of the Finnish government is to make Finland a global leader in the circular economy by 2025 and carbon neutral by 2035. One of the focus areas in the road map, drafted under the direction of the Finnish Innovation Fund, Sitra in co-operation with the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the business sector and other key stakeholders, are technical loops. The goal of the technical loops focus area is sustainable use of non-renewable natural resources, lengthening the product life cycles via maintenance measures, and determining how the waste produced during material processing and product manufacturing as well as the materials in the products at the end of their life can be returned to the loop with maximum efficiency.
One of the goals for Finland is to be a model country in solving the challenge of material scarcity. The main way to do that is to minimize the need for virgin raw materials and maximize the length of the material and product loops as well as utilizing reuse opportunities. For the metallurgical industry, a key focus point in current research is to design processes that can utilize existing waste flows, such as electronic waste or iron-containing residues, and thus minimize waste. An excellent example of this is the BatCircle projects, led by Aalto University’s Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering. Equally important near future solution is to find ways to maximally utilize existing metallurgical processes to use the above mentioned secondary raw materials for recovering valuable metals.
Speakers and their presentation titles
Wednesday, May 19th 2021 at 14.15-16.00 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Associate Professor Rosa Ballardini (University of Lapland), Professor Jan Holmström (Aalto University)
Description
Interactive and multi-disciplinary discussions on the disruptions needed in the business, legislative and policy frameworks to transition towards a more sustainable innovation ecosystem for (3D printable) bio-based plastic products.
One of our major global challenges in materials science relates to the transformation from fossil-based polymeric materials to sustainable, renewable and carbon-binding ones, to enable resource efficient production and foster re- and up-cycling of plastics. Raising technologies like 3D printing might bring great benefits in this process. Enabling this transformation requires looking at all the steps of the value chain, for the production of materials, to the use of materials in final products, all the way to the recycling and disposal of products. Notably, a key question in this exercise relates to depicting the characteristics that a business, legislative and policy framework should have in order to foster this transformation. In a market economy, this requires examining the complexities of the exiting business and policy structures, as they are often hindering rather than facilitating disruptive changes like the one envisioned by a (3D-printable) bio-based plastic innovation ecosystem. Business disruptions might be needed in order to develop novel decentralized sustainable business models that support a smooth transition towards distributed, local manufacturing of bio-based polymeric products. Legal and policy disruptions might be necessary to provide with the right incentives to create economic benefits, while also prioritizing ethical values like strong sustainability.
Presentation titles and speakers
Reflection and discussion: Can we identify likely and desirable plastics futures?, chaired by Research Scientist Henri Wiman (VTT).
Tuesday, May 18th 2021 at 12.15 - 14.00 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Professor Mikko Jalas (Aalto University) and University Lecturer Pasi Heikkurinen (University of Helsinki)
Description
The welfare state is claimed to indicate sustainability, but also economic growth and resource-hungry patterns of everyday life. This session explores the potential and limitations of transformation towards an eco-welfare state.
The welfare state underlies many contemporary patters of everyday life. Housing, urban space, mobility, work, and food, for instance, have been largely shaped by the state (Scott, 1998). Such ramifications of the welfare state are problematic from the point of view of sustainability if they imply continuous economic growth. The welfare state is also a key structure for governance of social life, managing natural resources and redistributing them, and for forging an ethic of sustainability. Internationally, the Nordic welfare states are claimed to serve as examples of sustainability, while they paradoxically have the highest amount of per capita consumption in the world. Being located at crossroads and faced with significant dilemmas, the notion of ecowelfare state has become a far-reaching discursive object within sustainability debates (Gough 2017; Koch and Fritz 2014).
The session is organized in cooperation with the Towards Eco-Welfare State: Orchestrating for Systemic (ORSI) research project (http://www.ecowelfare.fi/) and Sustainable Change Research Network (SUCH) (suchresearch.net).
Speakers and their presentation titles
Tuesday, May 18th 2021 at 14.15-16 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Dr. Michael Lettenmeier (Aalto University), Prof. Mari Niva (University of Helsinki), and Dr. Senja Laakso (University of Helsinki)
Description
How to accelerate fundamental, systemic changes in consumption and production towards sustainability? How to disrupt present practices and reconfigure more sustainable ones?
There is a widely shared understanding that innovative ways to achieve “1.5-degree lifestyles” are needed to mitigate climate change in time. Transitions to sustainability require fundamental changes to societal processes, particularly to the ways products and services are produced and consumed, and how these systems of production and consumption are governed. There is a pressing need to disrupt, or even “creatively destruct”, prevailing systems and practices based on overexploitation of resources and producing environmentally detrimental outcomes, while creating sufficiently fast emerging, sustainable alternatives that do not endanger the wellbeing of present and future generations.
Two distinct theoretical approaches have become especially prominent in this field: socio-technical transitions, particularly multi-level perspective (e.g. Schot & Geels 2008), and social practice theory (e.g. Shove & Walker 2010). Moreover, there is a growing body of research aiming to identify crossovers and intersections between these two approaches (e.g. Hargreaves et al. 2012; McMeekin & Southerton 2012). These approaches are also utilised in a number of initiatives and empirical enquiries that aim to understand and support sustainability changes in both systems and practices. What is shared in these approaches is that they also recognise contemporary environmental and sustainability challenges as demanding fundamental systems change that cannot be achieved through incremental tinkering with patterns of consumption or production.
Speakers and their presentation titles
Wednesday, May 19th 2021
Session conveners
Dr. Michael Lettenmeier (Aalto University), Prof. Mari Niva (University of Helsinki), and Dr. Senja Laakso (University of Helsinki).
Description
How to accelerate fundamental, systemic changes in consumption and production towards sustainability? How to disrupt present practices and reconfigure more sustainable ones?
There is a widely shared understanding that innovative ways to achieve “1.5-degree lifestyles” are needed to mitigate climate change in time. Transitions to sustainability require fundamental changes to societal processes, particularly to the ways products and services are produced and consumed, and how these systems of production and consumption are governed. There is a pressing need to disrupt, or even “creatively destruct”, prevailing systems and practices based on overexploitation of resources and producing environmentally detrimental outcomes, while creating sufficiently fast emerging, sustainable alternatives that do not endanger the wellbeing of present and future generations.
Two distinct theoretical approaches have become especially prominent in this field: socio-technical transitions, particularly multi-level perspective (e.g. Schot & Geels 2008), and social practice theory (e.g. Shove & Walker 2010). Moreover, there is a growing body of research aiming to identify crossovers and intersections between these two approaches (e.g. Hargreaves et al. 2012; McMeekin & Southerton 2012). These approaches are also utilised in a number of initiatives and empirical enquiries that aim to understand and support sustainability changes in both systems and practices. What is shared in these approaches is that they also recognise contemporary environmental and sustainability challenges as demanding fundamental systems change that cannot be achieved through incremental tinkering with patterns of consumption or production.
Speakers and their presentation titles
Wednesday, May 19th 2021 at 14.15-16.00 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Post-doctoral researcher Matti O. Hannikainen (University of Helsinki), Dr. Riikka Mäkikoskela & Dr. Taneli Tuovinen (Aalto University)
Description
The session aims to gather researchers to discuss how to understand and enhance a radical shift to circular economy. The quest is not simple and it needs a new interdisciplinary approach combining sociocultural, political, historic, engineering, economic and ecological spheres.
The contemporary societies need a fundamental shift to circular economy. While this has been acknowledged for few decades by now, societies continue to produce more waste globally today than ever before. This session not only examines the relationship between the waste inevitably produced and cultures of waste, but also the crucial differences between various wasted materials. Moreover, the session discusses future models for a circular economy, where the waste is no more being wasted. The presentations approach the topic from historical, sociocultural and future perspectives.
Speakers and their presentation titles
Tuesday, May 18th 2021 at 12.15 - 14.00 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Assistant Professor Dorothée Cambou (University of Helsinki) and Associate Professor Marjut Jyrkinen (University of Helsinki)
Description
The session invites scholars to submit abstracts discussing the topics of gender equality and the rights of indigenous peoples through the lens of case studies underlining the challenges, paradoxical and controversial aspects of sustainable development, together with initiatives that may propose a counter narrative fostering just sustainabilities for all.
One of the main pleas of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda is that no one shall be left behind. In that regard, several SDGs address the importance of gender equality and the rights of indigenous peoples. Yet, persistent challenges remain to ensure the inclusion of women and indigenous peoples in the process of sustainable development. Whereas indigenous peoples have contributed since immemorial time to maintain their livelihoods, manage resources sustainably and act as guardians or custodians of the lands for the next generation, their rights are poorly acknowledged in the sustainable transition. In addition, although gender is specifically focused in SDG 5, there is an urgent need to mainstream gender aspects throughout the sustainability goal, policies and practices as poverty, development and sustainability are inextricably linked to gender and human rights. A great paradox is therefore that sustainable development measures do not adequately include women or adversely impact indigenous peoples, thereby making the transition fundamentally unjust. In this regard, the session calls for attention how the traditional, prevailing and persistent attitudes and perceptions among states and business – those based on male privilege and subordination of women and indigenous people – impact on building up more inclusive and sustainable transition.
Speakers and their presentation titles
Commentator: Eija Limnell, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Tuesday, May 18th 2021 at 14.15-16 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Adjunct Professor, University Researcher Kaisa Matchoss (University of Helsinki & Center for Consumer Society Research) and Postdoctoral researcher Meri Jalonen (Aalto University).
Description
Exploring the social aspects and human agency of the energy transition. How to enhance just creative destruction?
Energy transitions are by their very nature socio-technical, which places human agency and societal change at the center of the transition. However, the socio-technical transitions approach is often argued to be too technology centric. The theme of the conference ’destruction & creativity’ is central to the necessary radical changes in our unsustainable lifestyles, businesses and governance. However, what does this mean from the perspective of diverse actor groups? How to enhance just creative destruction?
This session invites theoretical and empirical transition studies that take the human agency and social processes of socio-technical transitions under investigation. Topics can include (but are not restricted to) technology developers and designers, energy users and prosumers, community energy initiatives, questions of energy justice and beneficiaries of transitions, regional and local energy transitions, public policy, technology proponents and antagonists, and other social processes of transitions. Such examples of social aspects of transition are important in shaping, translating and giving meanings to novel technologies and solutions but also in challenging mature technologies and shared conventions, beliefs and norms.
Speakers and their presentation titles
Sketching an inclusive roadmap to a peat-free energy system, Hanna Lempinen
How to talk about energy saving to energy-poor? Experiences from home advisory work of a European project Assist2gether, Sini Numminen
Urban transportation in India: diffusion of e-rickshaw and it’s potential, Venkata Bandi
Wednesday, May 19th 2021 at 12.15-14.00 (EEST, UTC+3)
Unravelling taboos in sustainability transitions - a dialogue session with the Finnish Expert Panel for Sustainable Development
Sustainability transitions are advancing in several sectors globally (in energy, food and urban contexts but also in economies, nature systems and overall welfare). Despite these ongoing transformative processes, there are also several topics that are not discussed.. Discussing and addressing these taboos in sustainability transitions is a key for their progression to continue. If these taboos are not openly discussed, they can build up tensions, which can then manifest in increasing dissatisfaction and even resistance towards sustainability transitions. This, we cannot afford.
We will discuss taboos related to economic growth at system level and private consumption through an interactive discussion during the session. Session is organized by the Finnish Expert Panel for Sustainable Development. Panelists will give a short introduction (2x10 min) to each of the taboos, which is followed by an interactive discussion with all the participants (2x30 min).
Organisers
Jari Lyytimäki, Katriina Soini & Eeva-Lotta Apajalahti
Coordinators of the Expert Panel for Sustainable Development
Session speakers and format
Chair of the session: Eeva Furman
The taboo of economic growth in system level, a short introduction to the topic by Professor Minna Halme (Aalto University) and Professor Jouni Jaakkola (University of Oulu)
The taboo of regulating private consumption, a short introduction to the topic by Professor Lassi Linnanen (LUT University) and Professor Anne Tolvanen (Natural Resources Institute Finland).
Wednesday, May 19th 2021 at 14.15-16.00 (EEST, UTC+3)
Session conveners
Dr. Jukka-Pekka Heikkilä (Aalto University)
Description
By presenting and discussing views on the potential of participatory extreme context, we wish to co-explore and learn a way towards a common path where more focus and dedication is given to the creation of novel sustainable solutions regarding SDG #9 and #11. "Participation is shapeshifting the way we see power and engagement. Out of extreme grows the most magnificent innovation."
Recent times have seen shifts to more unstable institutional environments, raising new challenges for SDG #9 promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation and for SDG #11 making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Natural disasters, ever increasing pollution, war, political controversy, the very nature of fragility of our planet becomes ever more apparent, more extreme.
What is extreme? We define extreme by following Hällgren et al. (2018) “where one or more extreme events are occurring or are likely to occur that may result in an extensive physical, psychological, or material consequences to physical or psycho-social proximity to organisation members”. Extreme is often associated with misery. However, in this session we argue extreme can yield hidden unexplored potential, particularly within the domain of participatory environment where individuals do not act as consumers but also contributors, co-creators (Jenkins, 2012; Timms & Heimans, 2018). Following this, well-cited research has demonstrated that dramatic, positive changes can occur in individuals as a direct result of experiences in extreme environments and call this post-traumatic growth, a personal transformation (Peterson et al, 2008). A sense of contribution (Eccles, 2008) can be created through meaningful participation, a claim we wish to prove true also in the proposed session.
By building on this, a positive transformative human potential related to participatory extreme environments, we wish to present two cases in relation to SDG#9 and SDG11 to foster the discussion for co-creating social innovations, together with science and practice, within the domain of Sustainable Science Days topics at Aalto University and University of Helsinki. For SDG #9, the case is WTSUP!, a co-created education platform, aimed to foster women's empowerment and volunteerism culture, located in extreme environment of crisis-torn Lebanon (YLE, 2019). The aim for the cross-cultural platform is to promote industrialization and foster innovation where for 2020 WTSUP! event in Beirut, the overarching theme is sustainability. For SDG #11, for more inclusive and sustainable urban planning, we present a participatory culture laboratory of Burning Man, especially the temporary 70,000 participant Black Rock City, BRC (American Planning Association, 2016 & BRCMUP, 2016). The potential of this case lies particularly within the temporary nature, city with less bureaucracy and power play (Stanford News, 2018). The radical nature of BRC may therefore provide insights into organizational processes of adaptation and prioritization, resilience, that could support cities in their tasks to become more sustainable. Ultimately, through these two novel topics, we wish to answer the surging scientific interest on extreme contexts, open a scholarly venue to study the previously unknown. On the practical front, by presenting and discussing views on the potential of participatory extreme context, that may support individual transformation, we wish to co-explore and learn a way towards a common path where more focus and dedication is given to the creation of novel sustainable solutions regarding SDG #9 and #11 (Sandström, Nevgi & Nenonen, 2019; Sandström & Nenonen, 2018). "Participation is shapeshifting the way we see power and engagement. Out of extreme grows the most magnificent innovation. "