In 2015, the United Nations unanimously adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to mobilize a global transition toward socially, economically and environmentally sustainable systems of production and consumption. Yet, a decade later, social and economic inequities have surged and our natural ecosystems are nearing collapse. In this context, it is evident that bold policy declarations alone are insufficient to address these wicked crises.
All around us, grassroots activists are working to establish and sustain alternatives to traditional business models, such as worker cooperatives, community gardens, resource-sharing platforms and open property regimes. To foster sustainable systems, global policy design and implementation must draw upon the grounded knowledge and experimentation of these local actors. However, policymakers are often disconnected from these initiatives and may struggle to engage activist communities in meaningful collaboration.
Compounding this challenge, research on sustainability activism is fragmented across disciplines, making it difficult for scholars to develop integrated policy recommendations. To address these pressing issues, Professor Mathieu Bouchard has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Development Grant for his project entitled “Activism for Sustainable Policymaking”. The project aims to explore how local activism can inform global policymaking to bring about sustainable outcomes.
Bouchard and his team will perform an integrative literature review to synthesize cross-disciplinary research on the experiences and insights of local activists. They will also conduct an empirical study on the ecosystem of digital rights activism: they will examine activists’ motivations and practices, how groups connect and coordinate with each other, and the policy implications of their work. This study will extend knowledge on sustainability activism in the technology domain—an area of critical importance in our digital age.
By drawing on the grounded knowledge and practices of local activists, Bouchard’s research seeks to enhance policy development, foster collaboration and improve quality of life in Canada and beyond. In the face of the wicked crises confronting us all, this research cultivates hope that together, we can reimagine and transform our systems for a sustainable future.
