52. Thanks, Melbourne!

It's been a fantastic year in Melbourne with so many opportunities to meet people, attend events, engage in projects and write papers! Along the way I have had the chance to meet with many researchers working at universities and practitioners from municipalities in Melbourne. Based on all these conversations, I have put together a paper (with a colleague) with the title: "The Rise of the UniverCity? Cross-sector Partnerships for Urban Sustainability". The abstract reads: "There is increased interest in the role of universities and municipalities in cross-sector partnerships on sustainable development and climate change. This paper investigates recent experiences with collaboration between municipalities and universities on urban sustainability in Melbourne, Australia where the City of Melbourne has defined an Eco-City vision. Collaboration is described and analysed in Melbourne from two viewpoints. First, looking at innovative actors and networks that act as bridging organisations between municipalities and universities. Second, looking at projects and activities in terms of five channels for action on urban sustainability. In essence, this paper reveals a web of actors and networks as well as activities and projects in Melbourne that could be the foundations for an emerging “UniverCity for Sustainability” where researchers and practitioners work extensively and strategically together on urban sustainability. However, tapping into the full potential of research-practice collaboration on urban sustainability in Melbourne demands intensified efforts on practical and strategic challenges. Key conclusions of this paper for Melbourne are that universities and municipalities need to establish persuasive incentives for collaborative efforts that are connected to work activities for practitioners and researchers, link activities and projects under a deliberate framework, facilitate placements of researchers (and students) at municipalities, promote regular physical and virtual interactions, and engage in urban sustainability experiments through living labs that involve physical changes in buildings, infrastructure and precincts."

51. Co-creation for sustainability

I have recently been engaged in some collaborative work on a paper entitled "Beyond the third mission: Exploring the emerging university function of co-creation for sustainability". It will soon be published in the Science and Public Policy journal. This paper explores a global trend where universities are collaborating with local government, industry and civic organisations to advance the sustainable transformation of a specific town, city or region. With empirical evidence, we argue that this function of "co-creation for sustainability" could be interpreted as the seeds of an emerging, new mission for the university. We demonstrate that this still evolving mission differs significantly to the economic focus of the third mission and conventional technology transfer practices, which we argue, should be critically examined. After defining five channels through which a university can fulfil the emerging mission, we analyse two frontrunner "transformative institutions" engaged in co-creating social transformations in pursuit of materialising sustainable development in specific locations and regions. This study seeks to add to the debate on the third mission and triple-helix partnerships. It does so by incorporating sustainable development and place-based co-creation with government, industry and civil society.

50. Energy efficiency improvements and fossil fuel subsidies

Scientists have repeatedly warned that GHG emissions must peak before 2020 if the world is to avoid a temperature rise of over 2 degrees. But countries are locked into negotiations on a global climate deal that will only come into effect in 2020. I am always surprised to hear energy efficiency down-played. In so many cases, the focus is almost entirely on increasing renewable energy, which is so important, but it goes hand-in-hand with massive energy efficiency improvements. Another key area is the continuation of fossil fuel subsidies, which is simply absurd in the context of climate change. It is therefore great to see that the International Energy Agency (IEA) recently released a report proposing 4 key initiatives that could significantly reduce GHG emissions within a short period of time, while enhancing economic welfare.

A partial phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies: The IEA suggests the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies in importing countries and a cut of 25% in subsidies in exporting countries by 2020.

Targeted energy efficiency measures in buildings, industry and transport: Energy efficiency measures in buildings and industry could deliver almost half the carbon cuts needed by 2020 to keep the world on track for global warming of less than 2 degrees.

Halving methane emissions from oil and gas extraction and transport: Measures to reduce methane releases from oil and gas operations, for example through flaring or leaks, could deliver a further 18% of the emission savings needed and could be accomplished at relatively low cost since the technology is available.

Limiting construction and use of the least-efficient coal-fired power plants: A further 20% of the emissions savings needed could come from CO2 pricing, CO2 standards for industry and limits on the use and construction of inefficient coal plants.

49. Teaching sustainability research - action, innovation and transformation

I will be teaching a course to international Masters students when I return to Sweden on how to do sustainability research. Essentially the course prepares students for undertaking a thesis. First, I will cover the basics of data collection, looking particularly at how to do interviews and carry out a literature review as well as case studies, questionnaires and site visits. Second, I will help the students to understand data analysis, and how to use theory and apply an analytical framework. And third, and perhaps mostly importantly, I will engage the students in why sustainability research is relevant, and what types of topics and research problems are "worthy" of research. It is here that I think sustainability research needs to reflect the "urgency" of bringing about sustainable development and responding to climate change. I will focus on three main approaches that can shape sustainability reserach - action research, social innovation and tranformation design.

"Action research is a research initiated to solve an immediate problem or a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by individuals working with others in teams or as part of a "community of practice" to improve the way they address issues and solve problems. It sometimes called participatory action research."

"Social innovation refers to new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that meet social needs of all kinds - from working conditions and education to sustainable development and health - that extend and strengthen civil society. Research has focused on the types of platforms needed to facilitate such cross-sector collaborative social innovation."

"Transformation design is a human-centered, interdisciplinary process that seeks to create desirable and sustainable changes in behavior and form – of individuals, systems and organizations – often for socially progressive ends. It is a multi-stage, iterative process applied to big, complex issues – often, but not limited to, social issues."