Four For Friday | June 7, 2024
Four For Friday | June 7, 2024
LF126 | EY on a new regenerative economy, Paul Ramsay Foundation embraces systems thinking, Audrey Tang on digital democracy and optimal aging
Welcome to Looking Forward’s Four For Friday. Four things that have piqued my interest this week. Enjoy!
EY report on a regenerative economy
Global consultancies are more well-known for their pro-capitalist stances, but this report from EY starts with a recognition that we’re in a ‘polycrisis’ based on an economic system that’s unsustainable. Heady stuff. It’s written by the ‘New Economy Unit’ at EY that “focuses on the long-term, systemic shifts toward a new, regenerative economy”. [Interesting, as these kinds of activities typically don’t have direct paid clients, so am wondering who’s funding it.]
Anyway, the report identifies six flaws with the current system, which will be familiar with anyone watching the news: unsustainable growth, over consumption, a “take-make-waste production and consumption model”, over reliance on finance, short termism and siloed thinking. So far, so good.
It notes there are some pockets of progress and calls for collaboration in the face of shared challenges. “Translating these early signals into widespread action requires intentional collaboration across all economic actors to remove structural barriers and create enabling conditions for change.”
It suggests five principles to guide a more regenerative approach:
Sufficiency – enough for a good life within planetary boundaries
Circularity – aligning production and consumption with nature
Systems thinking – connecting the dots to catalyze systems change
Value redefined – putting human and planetary flourishing at the heart of value creation
Equity and justice – achieving shared and lasting prosperity for all
I think it’s easy to be cynical about ‘feel good’ efforts by big consultancies who mostly spend their days accelerating the unsustainable, consumerist economy that is being called out here, but I like the face they’re willing to make a stand. Let’s hope it’s more than a forgotten, unread report in a few months’ time.
Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) embraces systems investing
Australia’s largest foundation, PRF, which gives out around AUD $150m per year, has launched a new strategy that’s all about systems. The strategy is designed to create a future “where people and places have what they need to thrive”. The strategy commits PRF to “taking a systems approach and focussing on people within the context of their families, the places they live, and the conditions that need shifting.”
The tree metaphor is an apt one, noting the interconnection of so many of these issues and the deep foundational roots in community that need to be part of a solution:
Audrey Tang on Taiwan’s digital democracy
Taiwan’s first ‘minister of digital affairs’ Audrey Tang is a bit of a celebrity in the digital democracy space, having created new tools and processes that helped Taiwan remain almost unscathed by Covid19, as well as helping effectively counter misinformation on social media.
The YouTube profile below comes as she launches a new book on the topic of digital democracy: Plurality, which I’ve just started reading, and will report back. Either way, her story is an inspiring one, and suggests a path to avoid our democratic institutions failing, as they seem to be in many western countries.
Succinct longevity innovation summary by LangLeven
Sports investor LangLeven has put out a short paper on the overlaps between longevity and optimal performance, that addresses many actionable ideas and areas to explore. It breaks down what it considers the blueprint of many of the new longevity services hitting the market today, which also give you the reader suggestions of what to start tracking so you can be your own optimal performance ager:
Blood (or saliva) panels - measure the circulating levels of biomolecules involved in health and associated to healthspan. Some options - InsideTracker, GlycanAge
Chromosomal health - measures the length of telomeres - the protective structures at the end of chromosomes. Telomeres shorten with time and can serve as chromosomal clocks.
Epigenetics clocks - DNA methylation regulates gene expression and reflects environmental exposures and lifestyles. Methylation patterns mark cell senescence and their location are associated with aging. Some options - AgeRate, Elysium, GrimAge, NOVOS, PuroVitalis, TruDiagnostic, TruMe
Skin photo aging - FaceAge, NOVOS rely on computer analysis of skin appearance to infer cellular health and age.
That’s all for this week. As always, feedback welcome. Feel free to share insights or links of interest.
- Stephen