Joint Foresight Workshop organised by EKLIPSE, EPBRS, and BiodivERsA
EKLIPSE, EPBRS and BiodivERsA are jointly organising a foresight workshop in Brussels on 6-7 December 2016 on « Social Innovation and Nature-Based Solutions: What research is needed to face future societal challenges and emerging issues? »
The aim of this participatory workshop will be to explore how nature-based solutions (NBS) can be a response to, or a catalyst for, social innovation to address emerging issues in relation to :
- human well-being and health
- governance strategies
- mainstreaming NBS in land planning and management
- restoration
- NBS and digital new technologies
Assessment of multiple benefits (environmental, social and economic) will be considered a transversal topic to explore in the context of each of the five main areas.
The identified emerging issues and research priorities will feed into current and future debates and reflections on research and innovation policy and priorities at EU level, (e.g. in Horizon 2020 work programmes and in the BiodivERsA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, future R&I framework programmes), at Member State level as well as at international level (e.g. in Belmont Forum, Future Earth).
Organisers
EKLIPSE is a H2020 funded project that aims to develop an innovative and self-sustainable EU support mechanism for evidence-based and evidence-informed policy on biodiversity and ecosystem services. A major function covered by EKLIPSE is the identification of research needs and emerging issues.
EPBRS is an EU-based forum for natural and social scientists, policy-makers and other stakeholders that has been operating since 1999.
BiodivERsA is the network of national and regional programmers and funders of research on biodiversity, ecosystem services and Nature-based solutions from 21 European countries. It elaborates a strategic vision and implementation plan that identifies priority topics and actions to be jointly addressed over the coming years. BiodivERsA is funded under the Horizon 2020 programme as an ERA-NET COFUND scheme.
Framing
We will use the definition of Nature-based solutions as provided in the Final report of the Horizon 2020 expert group on 'Nature-based solutions and re-naturing cities.
Nature-based solutions: "nature-based solutions to societal challenges are solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience. Such solutions bring more, and more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions."
We suggest to use the NBS resources available athttps://ec.europa.eu/research/environment/index.cfm?pg=nbs
Regarding Social Innovation, we will refer to the definition proposed by the TEPSIE project
Social innovations are new solutions (products, services, models, markets, processes etc.) that simultaneously meet a social need (more effectively than existing solutions) and lead to new or improved capabilities and relationships and better use of assets and resources. In other words, social innovations are both good for society and enhance society’s capacity to act.
(Caulier-Grice et al., 2012)
We also would like to refer to the in-depth report: Science Communication Unit, University of the West of England, Bristol (2014). Science for Environment Policy In-depth Report: Social Innovation and the Environment. Report produced for the European Commission DG Environment, February 2014. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/science-environment-policy
This report can serve as basis to illustrate social innovation related to environmental issues.
Process and Agenda
Three major questions are going to be asked in this workshop:
- What are important emerging issues/ societal challenges and which Nature-Based Solutions can be a response to these issues/ challenges?
- What specific Social Innovation approaches exist and could be used in order to support the effective implementation of these NBS (which is to saysimultaneously providing environmental, economic & social benefits) for tackling these emerging issues?
- What are the research needs to support the realization of these NBS and Social Innovations?