POSITIVE CORNER #2: Energy Transition à la Jiu-Jitsu

Policy making is an art. And it seems a key to this art is to strengthen self-regulation rather than using external force. Renowned systems thinkers have often pointed to this. Buckminster Fuller, for instance, phrased it as "Don't fight forces, use them." With regard to the management of corporate culture Peter Drucker put it as "Don't change culture, use it!". Frederic Vester, pioneer of systems methodology and author of the well acclaimed report to the Club of Rome "The Art of Interconnected Thinking" referred to it as the Jiu-Jitsu pinciple of systems design, with Jiu-Jitsu being a martial art that is based on using and redirecting existing forces instead of pushing back against them.

In a recent post of WEF (World Economic Forum), UNSW professor Elizabeth Thurbon argues the reason for East Asia, especially China, Korea and Japan, moving forward rather fast and easy with the transition into renewable energies as compared to many western countries, lies in a different approach to policy making. Instead of focussing to much on pushing back the use of fossil energy through e.g. tax and law, policy here is much more focussing on making the use of renewable energies an opportunity that immediately and noticeably improves the living conditions of social communities and the chances for economical development. There is much to learn from each other - in all directions around the globe.

see WEF post on LinkedIn