Emmanuelle Vital
Colorado Mountain College, Sustainability Studies, Faculty Member
- With graduate degrees in physical, natural, and social sciences, I thrive in facilitating interdisciplinary cross-functional, and cross-cultural initiatives integrating landscape restoration and conservation practices and systems thinking to catalyze an open-minded culture of constantly improving... moreWith graduate degrees in physical, natural, and social sciences, I thrive in facilitating interdisciplinary cross-functional, and cross-cultural initiatives integrating landscape restoration and conservation practices and systems thinking to catalyze an open-minded culture of constantly improving best management practices. Currently, I am working at the intersection of physical and behavioral sciences and the expression of ethics and community engagement through various artistic forms. I am committed to supporting climate mitigation and social justice initiatives by helping share knowledge globally between local communities and organizations and the academic world.I am actively trying to understand better our world, where it might be heading, and how to strengthen our connections to nature and humanity through the topics of science, art, and spirituality.edit
In an effort to share local knowledge and best practices, online sustainability knowledge-action platforms of various types have proliferated. We conducted a review of 42 online sustainability knowledge-action platforms, which we... more
In an effort to share local knowledge and best practices, online sustainability knowledge-action platforms of various types have proliferated. We conducted a review of 42 online sustainability knowledge-action platforms, which we classify as digital tools that seek to manage and organize knowledge and activities to advance a sustainability agenda at the local level. This interdisciplinary paper analyzes the structure and functionality of existing sustainability platforms through a systematic coding process. The coding is based on a review of the key issues highlighted in three bodies of literature: i) localization of the SDGs, ii) digital platforms and iii) multi-level governance of sustainability transitions. Our analysis indicates that numerous online collaborative tools, while offering an array of resources, struggle to provide context-sensitivity and higher-level analysis of the trade-offs and synergies between different sustainability actions. Context sensitivity and systemic thinking are essential, however, if we wish to align local targets with international priorities like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG localization adds another layer of complexity where multi-level governance, actor priorities and institutional logics may generate tensions as well as opportunities for intra- and cross-sectoral alignment.
Our paper offers a series of recommendations for accelerating local sustainability innovation with sustainability-focused online tools. We discuss various policy measures and approaches to facilitating data-driven innovation and how these might address issues relating to data ownership and accessibility, data interoperability and integration (particularly between the Global South and North), incentives relating to data collection, disclosure and sharing of data, and trust and engagement in data governance. We argue that, while showcasing and exemplifying local actions, an integrative platform that leverages existing content from multiple extant platforms and provides additional functionality could better assist local leaders to accelerate local to global actions across multi-level and complex system change requirements. We posit the need for an integrative open-source and dynamic global online data management tool that would enable the monitoring of progress and facilitate peer exchange of ideas and experience among local government, community and business stakeholders.
Our paper offers a series of recommendations for accelerating local sustainability innovation with sustainability-focused online tools. We discuss various policy measures and approaches to facilitating data-driven innovation and how these might address issues relating to data ownership and accessibility, data interoperability and integration (particularly between the Global South and North), incentives relating to data collection, disclosure and sharing of data, and trust and engagement in data governance. We argue that, while showcasing and exemplifying local actions, an integrative platform that leverages existing content from multiple extant platforms and provides additional functionality could better assist local leaders to accelerate local to global actions across multi-level and complex system change requirements. We posit the need for an integrative open-source and dynamic global online data management tool that would enable the monitoring of progress and facilitate peer exchange of ideas and experience among local government, community and business stakeholders.
Research Interests:
Within the last decade, online sustainability knowledge-action platforms have proliferated. We surveyed 198 sustainability-oriented sites and conducted a review of 41 knowledge-action platforms, which we define as digital tools that... more
Within the last decade, online sustainability knowledge-action platforms have proliferated. We surveyed 198 sustainability-oriented sites and conducted a review of 41 knowledge-action platforms, which we define as digital tools that advance sustainability through organized activities and knowledge dissemination. We analyzed platform structure and functionality through a systematic coding process based on key issues identified in three bodies of literature: (a) the emergence of digital platforms, (b) the localization of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and (c) the importance of multi-level governance to sustainability action. While online collaborative tools offer an array of resources, our analysis indicates that they struggle to provide context-sensitivity and higher-level analysis of the trade-offs and synergies between sustainability actions. SDG localization adds another layer of complexity where multi-level governance, actor, and institutional priorities may generate t...
of Conference Presentation Despite the importance of global accords such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the most productive solutions to the climate crisis are often occurring at the local level. The... more
of Conference Presentation Despite the importance of global accords such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the most productive solutions to the climate crisis are often occurring at the local level. The SDGs seek to capture the multi-dimensional aspects of sustainable development with associated global indicators. Reporting of progress towards these goals is still mainly at a national scale, despite efforts to 'localise' reporting. Governments can develop their own indicators to track progress, while localised SDG indicators still lag behind. In the UK, for instance, monitoring and reporting of SDGs into local systems has been low and robust indicators that decouple a range of sustainability outputs into different frameworks is urgently required. There are also many social and spatial implications of sustainability transitions at different scales and contexts that should be debated and embedded into integrated sustainability data management...
In an effort to share local knowledge and best practices, online sustainability knowledge-action platforms of various types have proliferated. We conducted a review of 42 online sustainability knowledge-action platforms, which we define... more
In an effort to share local knowledge and best practices, online sustainability knowledge-action platforms of various types have proliferated. We conducted a review of 42 online sustainability knowledge-action platforms, which we define as digital tools that seek to manage and organize (local) knowledge and activities to advance a sustainability agenda. This interdisciplinary paper analyzes the structure and functionality of existing sustainability platforms through a systematic coding process. The coding is based on a review of the key issues highlighted in three bodies of literature: i) localization of the SDGs, ii) digital platforms and iii) multi-level governance of sustainability transitions. Our analysis indicates that numerous online collaborative tools, while offering an array of resources, struggle to provide context-sensitivity and higher-level analysis of the trade-offs and synergies between different sustainability actions. Context sensitivity and systemic thinking are e...