Approach

EcoCiv’s hypothesis is that (1) supporting local leaders in identifying their visions for an ecological civilization, and (2) connecting those leaders with the global resources, knowledge, and support they need will accelerate systemic change toward societies that together constitute an Ecological Civilization. Programmatic work at the intersection of local actions and theory on root causes is often the missing piece in efforts to establish an ecological civilization that serves the wellbeing of people and the planet.

EcoCiv aggregates and amplifies existing solutions or actions, connecting dots between siloed issues and breaking down barriers in order to catalyze action. Specifically, EcoCiv supports local partners in the process of designing and implementing more effective and efficient solutions in particular locations (“hubs”), and then aims to prompt the replication and scaling of those solutions in other locations. The goal of these interventions is that an increasing number of communities make measurable progress toward a just and sustainable society.

Ecological Civilization Defined:

EcoCiv understands a civilization to be a way that humans pattern their lives together; it encompasses values, institutions, beliefs, cultures, and actions. To live ecologically is to recognize that all living things are members of ecosystems, and then to act to “to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community” (Aldo Leopold).  In promoting ecological civilization, EcoCiv works towards the development of human societies that are structured to promote a cooperative relationship between the planet’s human inhabitants and the biosphere they inhabit. 

The EcoCiv Method 

All EcoCiv programs follow a distinctive approach through a combination of four specific interlocking activities that identify, research, develop, and implement solutions towards the realization of an ecological civilization. We apply the same methodology to a number of the most burning issues of our day: water security, sustainable economies, affordable/sustainable housing, etc.

• Guiding and disseminating notable solutions and research produced by scholars, activists, and policymakers
• Building collaborations among government, business, environmental activists, and civic leaders, so that these multiple sectors work together to test hypotheses and to implement best-practice solutions;
• Organizing and facilitating a variety of convenings in which EcoCiv leads groups of experts through a series of visioning, backcasting, and roadmapping exercises to refine identified solutions; and
• Testing theories (global and local) about sustainable systems in on-the-ground local “hubs,” then augmenting the local solutions with the assistance of scientists, technologists, and policy experts to replicate and scale them. 
  
  

Priorities 

A number of priorities are presupposed by and contribute to the central priorities of our mission. These include: 

• sustaining ecosystems and protecting biodiversity
• inclusive economies for wellbeing
• integrated community design
• climate resilient development
• progressive dialogues for change

Broader goals underlie EcoCiv’s specific projects and deliverables:

• Protect and ensure the resilience and function of the ecosystem services that provide the basic necessities for all life.
• Prompt multisectoral transitions towards a fundamentally equitable and just future that achieves carbon neutrality and progresses towards carbon negativity. 
• Promote human systems and governance that support and maintain the wellbeing of people and the planet
• Change the dominant narrative from that of climate change crisis-management and inequity to a hopeful and collaborative narrative that results in action.

These goals and priorities are reflected across EcoCiv’s programs, and each program addresses multiple priorities.