Laetitia Bornes and Catherine Letondal
Sustainability is inherently complex and can only be considered from a global perspective (all sectors taken together and on a planetary scale). It is essential to develop a shared vision of the pathways to be followed (at least at the national level), which can inspire and guide decision-making at various levels (policies, business and organisational strategies, etc.). These chosen pathways imply socio-environmental consequences that need to be assessed from a value-based perspective (in a way that is not neutral) and concern all citizens.
In order to think about sustainable and desirable futures in a systemic way, there has recently been a revival of interest in prospective scenarios (Sardar, 2010). However, these scenarios (i.e. IPCC scenarios) are generally produced by organisations (institutions, associations, etc.) and then widely disseminated to the public and businesses, in a top-down logic.
To what extent do they represent collective imaginations? How are they used to inform decision-making?
There are many examples of participatory citizen consultations for local decision-making (e.g. on mobility in a district or city), and a few examples of participatory citizen consultations for national decision-making (e.g. the Citizens’ Climate Convention in France, despite the lack of follow-up). On the other hand, in referendums or on online discussion platforms (mass consultation), citizens are usually asked to express themselves in a binary way (yes or no) and possibly to comment on their opinion (Frappier et al., 2024).
How can a vision of the future and a sustainable path be democratically constructed? Could future scenarios be co-constructed and used as tools for (mass) citizen consultation?
During this workshop, participants will attempt to answer these questions through collective discussions and group work. Reflections on the opportunities, obstacles and questions raised during the workshop will provide input for future research in the field of interface-supported citizen consultation.
KEYWORDS: future scenarios, sustainable pathways, co-design, democracy, citizen consultation
RSD TOPIC(S): Methods & Methodology, Policy & Governance, Sociotechnical Systems
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