August 20, 2015

POC21 goes COP21

editor:	Murat Suner

This fall the U.N. conference on climate change in Paris (COP21) will try to make a difference: 20 years after the first conference in Berlin in 1995 it aims to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.

Since 1995 the carbon dioxide emission have doubled, and the goal to turn away from fossil fuel consumption until the end of the century reminds of economist John Maynard Keynes famous saying "In the long run we are all dead", rather than a plan.

Against that background, ahead of the UN climate summit COP21, the innovation camp POC21, aims to deliver the proof of concept that a fossil-free, resource-efficient society can be built by citizen pioneers.

“We've exhaustively discussed the problems - and even solutions to - climate change and resource depletion. What we lack are new formats and fresh minds to create feasible results for the vast majority of people.” said Daniel Kruse, co-founder of POC21.

The organizers OuiShare (Paris) and Open State (Berlin) brought together around 100 citizenpioneerstojoinforcesatMillemontCastlenear Paris. Duringfiveweeksofco-makingandco-living,theirgoalwillbeto prototype a newbreedofopen-source,sustainableproducts.

12projectteams-supportedbyinternational makers,designersandsocialinnovators-willdevelopanddocumenttheir ideasforamainstreamaudience.DuringPOC21theparticipantswillembrace a unique creative process completewithmentoringsessions,work sprints,realitychecks,campfirechatsandmore.

As the great thinker, architect, inventor and activist R. Buckminster Fuller said: "Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment."

We can't wait until the end of the century. It's time to hurry up.

fairplanet will report weekly from the innovation camp POC21. POC21 is running a live magazine to provide continues updates from the camp.