Social Tipping Points
This cross-faculty collaboration uses a complexity theory lens to bring together leading experts from diverse fields, such as sociology, psychology, economics, environmental science, and computer science, to explore the mechanisms and dynamics of social tipping points (STPs). We aim to leverage these critical junctures to address pressing global challenges, including the protein transition, energy transition, and lifestyle-related diseases.
Objective
In collaboration with a diverse set of partners, we foster sustainable and transformative change by
understanding and influencing the social and environmental factors that drive individual and collective behavior via STPs.
Complexity theory
Map systems in their current state, with a special focus on domain-specific enabling and inhibiting factors for
STPs to happen.
Co-creation
Facilitate a co-creative space for policymakers, practitioners and scientists, where a shared vision is developed through participatory,
multi-stakeholder dialogues.
Interventions
Co-develop actionable insights for policy updates that leverage STP knowledge for positive and
sustainable change.
ROOTS: Resilient Outcomes from Organic Transitions in Society
ROOTS explores how people can be supported in making more sustainable choices – like installing solar panels or eating less meat – without fuelling social division.
Supported by an NWO VIDI grant, POLDER’s Vítor V. Vasconcelos and his team of 2 PhDs and a postdoc aim to bridge the gap between policy and people, working closely with societal partners to ensure that climate measures not only support sustainability but also strengthen social cohesion.
COMTIP: Computational Modelling of Social Tipping Points
COMTIP aims to develop, integrate and apply novel methodologies for the computational modeling of STP’s in the context of healthy food choices and the energy transition.
Through collaboration with the RIVM (the dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), we strive to bridge POLDER’s scientific knowledge on complex systems and computational modeling to their domain knowledge on population behavior in these contexts. We aim to create actionable insights into how policy interventions can drive rapid behavioural change and improve public health and environmental sustainability.
Partners & Funders
