Challenge

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We need rapid and transformational changes to create well-being for everyone while staying within planetary boundaries. Changes have to happen in economics, culture and politics. 

There is no single adequate historical comparison for the scale and speed of change needed. But the basic conditions for change are well known:

1. People with power must recognise the current situation as untenable.
2. There has to be significant pressure for change from civil society, businesses and the public.
3. There has to be a compelling vision for the future.

The first of these conditions is emerging today as broken economies and gross inequalities threaten social stability.

However, the urgency of the ecological threat is poorly understood; or else that understanding isn't yet producing action. The pressure required under the second condition isn't yet strong. The third condition doesn't yet exist.

Moreover, many people strongly resist change - and not just those with vested interests. Denialism - the active choice to deny reality - is rife. Whether because of individuals' politics, religion or psychology, irrational decision-making is influential. Yet substantial change has occurred in the past from which we could learn lessons. These lessons and their application to current challenges have not been widely explored.

Research questions

• How has rapid and transformative change happened in the past?
• What can we learn from history to help us accelerate towards sustainability, social justice and well-being for all?
• Democracies, internet freedom and human rights - are they essential or do they hinder the potential for rapid change?
• How can we overcome the influence of denialism and irrationality?

Use of the research

This research has lessons for all of the research areas, as well as for all campaigns. Historians are consistently frustrated that lessons from the past are not considered more in policy-making. Campaigns of all sorts are often thought to be of the moment and fail to take into account their historical context.

This research brings together researchers and campaigners to identify how the lessons of the past might apply to today's challenges.