Track Chairs

• • Alex Franklin, Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, UK.
    ac0569@coventry.ac.uk
  • Wanxin Li, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong,  Hong Kong.
    wanxin.li@cityu.edu.hk
  • Sandra Reinstädtler, Independent scientist, University of Technology (TU) Dresden – Alumna, Germany, former: Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) Cottbus-Senftenberg, Brandenburg, Germany and Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Gadong, Brunei Darussalam. sandra.reinstaedtler@gmx.de

 

Goals and Objectives and areas of the Track

The ongoing degradation and depletion of environmental resources, together with associated problems of energy poverty, environmental injustice and food insecurity, are just some of the many consequences of our current (long-running) unsustainable patterns of living, production and consumption. Provoked by processes of globalization and uneven development (beyond the uneven distribution of natural endowment), the addition of climate change brings further complexity and vulnerability to this picture. In the face of such immense challenges, just and inclusive forms of stakeholder engagement and public participation – as highlighted through SDG-17 – are critical not only for achieving a more sustainable future for all, but also for stimulating the kinds of social and environmental innovations needed to transform systems rather than merely adapt them.

 

The goal of this track is to open up discussion and advance understanding of how to nurture stakeholder engagement and public participation as catalysts for innovation, in response to the growing number and severity of social, environmental, economic and cultural challenges facing our current and future generations. This includes challenges of either a global or local scale, those of a profoundly wicked nature and those which are eminently more resolvable, yet nevertheless continue to persist.

 

A risk when establishing and sustaining a positive cycle of action and participation is empowering the already empowered whilst further disempowering the already disempowered. Thus, in this track call, papers are especially welcomed which place a spotlight on just and inclusive forms of stakeholder engagement and innovation. This includes (but need not be limited to) initiatives aimed at: i) enabling greater public involvement in decision-making around the management of the natural resource base; ii) empowering individuals, or whole communities, to respond to, learn from and move forwards in situations of crisis and high vulnerability; and iii) enacting policy and legislation which serves to enhance the public accountability of those in power in a far more meaningful way – while fostering innovative approaches to governance, technology, and social organisation.

 

In calling for such contributions, we seek to come together and critically explore, from a range of different disciplinary lenses, geographical starting points, and cultural perspectives, the range of ways in which individuals, groups, places, practices, environments, communities or even whole nations, can be empowered to engage in more sustainable forms of action and decision making. This includes, for example, research relating to the production, consumption, management and/or conservation of a full range of environmental resources; studies which make the connection between environmental, social, economic and cultural issues across various different geographical, political and socio-cultural settings; and case-based illustrations of individual and place-specific initiatives, events, movements, policies or projects which are characterized by multi-scalar forms of collaborative action and co-created innovation. We also warmly encourage contributions which pay particular attention to the role of creative methodologies, transdisciplinary science and care-full scholarship in stimulating public participation and innovation – especially those intent on generating alternative, more just, understandings of why and how things are, and how they could otherwise be.

Length and content of the proposed abstract to the track

Each proposed abstract (in connection to an area pointed out above) of between 300 and 500 words (including all aspects),

1. shall be best organized (without headlines) along usual structures (e.g. intro/method/findings or results/ discussion/conclusions)
2. does not need to, but can include references
3. shall provide in a final section
   a. to which SDG(s) and SDG-target(s) their proposed abstract especially relate to (e.g. “SDG+Target: 14.1.”).
   b. a brief indication how the proposed contribution relates to the topic of the Conference (“Transforming global challenges into Sustainable Opportunities: Collaborations and Partnerships across the globe) “

Abstracts which do not outline points 3.a.) AND 3.b.) might be considered less relevant in the Review.

Potential publication channels

1. The Journal (name, website, impact factor if any, if possible indexed where)Journal of Environmental Management (envisaged) will be considered for publication of a special issue resulted from this panel. The journal is SCI indexed with an impact factor of 5.647 in 2019.Frontiers in Sustainable Cities (open access, inquired/confirmed) has contacted Wanxin Li for working out a special issue with the journal. Although it is not yet indexed in SCI or SSCI, if 10 or more articles are included in this special issue, the publisher will also make the special issue an edited book. Of course, because it is an open-access journal, publication fee will have to be paid by the authors.
2. Edited Book series (name of the series, publisher, website, if possible indexed where)Frontiers in Sustainable Cities (open access, inquired/confirmed) has contacted Wanxin Li for working out a special issue with the journal. Although it is not yet indexed in SCI or SSCI, if 10 or more articles are included in this special issue, the publisher will also make the special issue an edited book. Of course, because it is an open-access journal, publication fee will have to be paid by the authors.
3. Conference proceedings with own ISBN number (each abstract and – later – full paper)