GreenDependent Institute

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Converge (FP7)


 

 

 

 

GreenDependent Institute has taken part as a consortium member in the FP7, EU research consortium project 'Rethinking globalisation in the light of Contraction and CONVERGEnce' ('CONVERGE') (n.b. from August, 2011 GreenDependent Association was the contracted partner).

In this research project, nine international partner institutions were tasked with ‘re-thinking globalization’ through the concept of "Contraction and ConvergenceTM" by applying this idea beyond its original application as a carbon reduction framework.

The CONVERGE project built from the concept of 'Contraction and Convergence' (C&C), formulated by the Global Commons Institute, that informed the Kyoto process. C&C linked the key social concept of equal rights to emissions with the key ecological need for reduced emissions to issue a challenge to economic systems to develop fair processes for emissions reduction. CONVERGE aimed to re-think globalisation by developing our understanding of convergence beyond emissions-trading across wider social, economic and ecological dimensions of sustainability. CONVERGE researched, developed and tested the processes of contraction, convergence and divergence in current forms of globalisation. The research was based on systems science to integrate social, scientific and economic disciplines in order to create coherent solutions to complex problems. Key to the success of this study was an interdisciplinary approach and working with stakeholders from civil society, government and business

CONVERGE seeked to explore convergent sustainability relationships across different scales from local, national, global-regional to global. CONVERGE researched current examples of convergence in communities, policies and indicators moving towards sustainability. The project developed a convergence frame for understanding and development in civil society and policy communities; accessible publications providing guidance and tools for the use of this framework; a set of Convergence indicators, quantitative and qualitative, that was used to test and model the processes of convergence including development of a Computer Programme; and recommendations to assist policy makers to integrate C&C into the decision making process. CONVERGE played a significant role in achieving the strategic objective of EU’s global partnership: "to promote sustainable development actively worldwide and ensure that the European Union's internal and external policies are consistent with global sustainable development and its international commitments."

More information about the project: http://www.gci.org.uk/Documents/Converge.pdf

Related news:

The Convergence Mapping System, a sustainability evaluation tool, was introduced in Prague and Istanbul

The CONVERGE e-book is now available: Equity within Limits

CONVERGE conference in India

Tree planting to offset CO2 emmissions - Converge

CONVERGE Workshop in Gödöllő

Consortium partners:

 

Dr. E.F. Schumacher Society Ltd (U.K. - Coordinator)
University of Bristol (U.K)
Lund University (Sweden)
Greendependent Institute Nonprofit Kft (Hungary)
Szent Istvan University (Hungary)
The Schumacher Centre Ltd (U.K.)
The Natural Step International (Sweden)
Social Change and Development - SCAD (India)
Haskoli Islands - University of Iceland (Iceland)

Project Meetings:

1. Budapest - 2009. September 16-18. (Gellért Hotel)

 

2. Lund (Sweden) - 2009. Nov. 30. - Dec. 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Iceland- 2010. April

 

4. Bristol - 2010. September

 

5. Lund (Sweden) - 2011. Feb. 16. - Feb. 19.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Bristol (UK) - 2011. Nov 30 - Dec 1.

                               

 

7. Gödöllő (Hungary) 2012. June 25 - June 26