‘ We need to be thinking about the generations to come’
pursue a regenerative route in their future development. “Regenerative development is the notion that it will have a positive environmental impact rather than the current negative impact.
“This considers both socioeconomic and environmental outcomes, giving back more.”
Noble says the carbon assessment of buildings will become increasingly important as the world strives to cut the harmful emissions driving global warming.
“We are setting tough carbon targets and we are looking at the impact of waste and how to minimise it, ” he says, adding that the Portswood Café provides lessons in alternative building technologies.
Regeneration for the next generation
Viljoen says it is time for a “regenerative focus”, which is gaining momentum globally. “It is too late to talk only about sustainability. We’ve messed up the Earth to such an extent that in whatever we do we must look at how we are going to positively build back, rather than just sustain our environment.
“This is connected to the concept of intergenerational fairness. When we make decisions, and sit and plan strategies, we need to be thinking about the generations to come. On some senior decision-making structures or organisations — I haven ’ t heard about this yet in South Africa — they have what are called ‘ 3G members’.
“That has nothing to do with connectivity. It stands for the third generation, and the 3G members … sit on the board and represent the generation yet to come and speak on their behalf. If we look back to decisions 100 years ago, we would roll our eyes.
“At the beginning of this year, futurists across the world did a bit of thinking about what the people of 2123 would be most disgusted by. The No 1 thing that came out was that we didn’t give legal rights to ecosystems, like rivers. Another thing was that we designed cities around mobility and cars rather than people, and that we put all our trust in tech.”
Gen Z: to vote or not to vote
Tech-smart younger generations, such as Gen Z, generally have a “higher social justice barometer” and are more committed to sustainable living, says Chang.
“There is a movement, even if it is not mainstream, to be more mindful about consumption and this was top of mind for people interviewed from Gen Z,” he says. They are more inclined to recycle and to ask where products are from, choosing organic food if they can afford to.
Flux Trends is marking 30 years of democracy with 30 young people making video diaries encouraging their peers to vote next year.
“On the one hand, they have this high social justice barometer, on the other hand, they are indicating in surveys that they are not interested in voting. Voting is a grey area,” Chang says. Their experience of empty promises during the pandemic may have resulted in a “learnt helplessness”.
Chang warns that elections in 2024 will have to contend with generative AI fakery. “There are platforms that can synthesise the voices of different world leaders, that can create videos. The elections, whether our elections or in the US, are going to be so complicated by generative AI and disinformation.”
Trust and honesty can disrupt the cycle of fake realities, but will humanity, without the support of intelligent machines, move in this direction? If the futures institute is right, we must at least try.
Voting is a grey area