Seona Candy and Eedla Rahikainen
In the urgent and necessary push to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, it is clear that the green transition will affect different people in different ways. Recognising that technical mitigation measures may have negative social impacts, current and previous policy announcements have also included measures to support a “just transition” and emphatic pledges to “leave no one behind.” However, initiatives to meet this goal remain fragmented, narrow in focus, and inadequate in addressing the social dimension of the green transition. They also often fail to engage with multiple perspectives and broader social policies, leading to lost opportunities for transformative change.
We show how systems thinking, foresight techniques and arts-based methods can be used to bring together citizens and decision-makers in inclusive, holistic and emotionally engaged processes of policy design. We will present examples from two ongoing projects, TANDEM and SISU, to showcase how combinations of research and practice can be used in synergy to explore and co-develop just, sustainable and transformative futures.
PROFILES
Seona Candy is the project coordinator for TANDEM. She is focused on co-developing just transition pathways in energy and mobility using a deliberative approach while also leading the ecological and transition justice topic area. With over a decade of experience in transdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder research, her work has spanned socio-ecological-technological systems and sustainability transformations. She has developed narratives and modelled future food systems, as well as co-created low-carbon visions for cities. Originally from Australia, Seona has worked at the University of Helsinki, the University of Melbourne, and Co-Design Studio before joining Demos in 2022. She holds a PhD in Infrastructure Engineering from the University of Melbourne.
Eedla Rahikainen specialises in socio-ecological justice, with a focus on fostering equitable and sustainable societies through just transitions, governance frameworks, and deliberative democracy. Her work emphasises the necessity of transforming current modes of inhabiting the planet in a manner that ensures fairness and inclusivity, particularly in relation to decision-making processes. At Demos Helsinki, Eedla holds the position of Legal Counsel, where she manages the organisation’s legal functions while also contributing to key research initiatives. As a case study leader in the TANDEM project, she engages in exploring pathways for just transitions, and she also plays a role in a ministerial initiative aimed at identifying future skills and capabilities. Prior to her current role, Eedla served as CEO of a legal HR firm and has experience in consultancy, further enhancing her expertise in governance and organisational development.
Adapted from demoshelsinki.fi