On 9 July, A Dutch essay collection was launched with the title ‘Vuurproef voor democratie’. The volume brings together 18 essays by researchers, exploring the climate crisis as a challenge for democracy, the rule of law, and public governance. SEICA research group team members Tine De Moor and Lukas Held co-authored one of the essays.
Their contribution, of which the title translates to “Bottom-Up Sustainability: Collective Engagement as a Foundation for Societal Transitions,” (p. 361) examines how citizen collectives can contribute to major societal transitions, including the transition to a more sustainable society. The authors argue that the climate itself is not a ‘common‘ according to Elinor Ostrom’s definition. However, citizen collectives can jointly govern shared resources and services such as energy, mobility, and land. It is through these tangible, community-led initiatives that they can make a significant contribution to sustainability and climate change mitigation.