The climate transition can be a pathway to a better everyday life, not a constraint

In today’s society, we face major challenges in terms of sustainability and the green transition. But what many people may not realise is the power of Cultural and Creative industries (CCIs). It is much more than just art and culture – it is a set of experiences and innovations that drive societies forward.

To harness the power of CCIs, we need to better understand and recognise the sector’s potential. We need to recognise the creative and cultural sector as an important part of the economy and include it in strategic plans. Universities also have an important role to play by supporting collaborative projects and creating meeting places where different actors can work together. This is the view of Lena Holmberg, project manager at the Collaboration office at Lund University with a long experience in developing learning environments in innovation ecosystems, especially focusing on climate change adaptation

‘One challenge is that many people still do not see the full potential of CCI. They confuse creativity with artistic expression and fail to recognise the power of innovation behind it. It’s not just about creating beautiful works of art, but about developing new technologies, materials and methods that can be used throughout society ‘, says Lena Holmberg.

But it is also about imagining a world where sustainability is not just a goal but part of our everyday lives.

‘By using our creativity and artistic expression, we can tell inspiring stories about a sustainable future. We can create experiences that not only entertain, but also educate and inspire people to think differently. When we look at the challenges ahead and reflect on human experience, it becomes clear that we have many effective ways to integrate the green transition into our lives ‘.

New European Bauhaus

In 2020, the New European Bauhaus (NEB), an EU initiative combining science, technology, art and culture, was launched. The NEB aims to create beautiful, sustainable and inclusive living environments that address climate change and social inequalities.

Inspired by the original Bauhaus movement of the 20th century, the NEB encourages collaboration between architects, artists, scientists and citizens. Since its inception, many projects have been funded to achieve the NEB objectives and contribute to the green transition. But there are challenges.

‘Cultural and creative industries are often made up of small businesses that have difficulty finding funding for their projects. The funding models that exist today are often better suited to larger individual initiatives. Therefore, new models are needed that can support a variety of smaller actors and their important work,’ says Lena Holmberg.

An important aspect is to focus not only on technical solutions but also on methods and collaborations across sectors. The cultural and creative sector can be used to raise our awareness of environmental issues and their consequences.

‘CCI has a long experience of networking and creating experiences involving different fields of knowledge. This is a skill that is invaluable when it comes to creating sustainable communities. I see a clear lack of knowledge in the business community and the CCI industry needs to get better at organising itself and clearly show how to connect different industries in an ecosystem’ , says Lena Holmberg.

Working sustainably

The green transition is also placing demands on the CCI. How does the sector impact the environment? The CCI sector has already started making its practices more environmentally friendly. One example is the events industry in Sweden, working under the Greentopia initiative.

Greentopia has created guidelines and is working with major events to make them sustainable. This includes several key areas, such as energy issues. Events commonly use diesel generators when energy supplies are uncertain, but are now looking for alternatives to reduce this dependence.

‘Waste management and recycling are also key aspects. It is about managing waste efficiently and ensuring that as much as possible is recycled. Transport is another important factor, how do you move around with transport in a sustainable way?’asks Lena Holmberg.

It’s also important to have the right atmosphere – you want life and movement, but also space to breathe.

Turning it into a positive

If we can create a more inclusive city, the climate transition would be turned into something positive. Instead of seeing it as something to be avoided, we can focus on improving our everyday lives.

‘If your home environment and your work are so incredibly boring that you spend all your savings on travelling to Thailand, then there is something genuinely wrong‘, says Lena Holmberg.

Travelling far away and escaping your everyday life is not the right medicine.

‘Instead, we need to strive to make our everyday life a positive experience. It’s about feeling part of your local environment and taking responsibility for it. By creating a vibrant and fun city, we can reduce the need to escape. Together we can manage both the present and the future. Unfortunately, our society is moving towards a more isolated lifestyle, which means we need to work actively to regain that sense of belonging. The climate transition can be a path to a better everyday life, not a limitation‘, says Lena Holmberg.

New ways of thinking about the climate

An exciting concept of creating future scenarios through storytelling is Climaginaries . The project has developed concepts where participants can experience the climate-friendly communities of the future through different senses. This creates not only awareness but also engagement and understanding of what is needed to get there.

The network consists of researchers, artists and others working on combining competences such as sound design and storytelling. Participants can experience these stories either in situ or through imagination through interactive experiences.

‘There is also a portable format where you can work without physical objects. Participants are invited to contribute their ideas on what could be in this ‘museum’. By involving participants in the creation, a richer experience is created. It is a good example of how creativity can be used to promote a sustainable future‘.