Proposal for a pathway to realize the sub-system in 2065, and an action agenda for 2020 to initiate transition towards a sustainable sub-system.

 

In this chapter, the actions that are needed to reach the set goals for the future sub-system are set up into a timeframe of specific actions. Firstly, a short analysis will be presented regarding the key conclusions from the previous analysis that leaded the platform to the proposed set of initiatives. The overall goal of the pathway is to empower Texelaars to grow the number of proposals in order to ensure their sustainable happiness.

 

• Technologies: The technologies needed for the sub-system to work primary focus on the energy generative technologies such as solar panels and wind mills. Other technologies address efficiency of housing design and construction, such as the development of new materials and production methods.
• Actors: The young people, entrepreneurs, visitors and “normal” people of Texel are the main actors of the sub-system. A primary focus on changing values of the young people is valued for a desired long-term effect. The entrepreneurs set an example to the young people towards sustainable lifestyles. The entrepreneur facilitates the visitor by providing services and developing technologies.
• Culture and behavior: As norms and values of the people of Texel are deeply rooted in their culture, it is hard to change them. The design of the future sub-system, the platform, aims to address this difficulty by making a strongly interrelated system in which values need to be changed in order to reach set goals of the municipality of Texel.
• Relations between different elements: Currently, there is a shift towards post-materialism; this means people value their right to individual voice and influence, both politically and within organizations, emphasizing self-actualization and life quality (Tibbs 2011). The platform, therefore, stands at the basis of these changing values, guiding them to reach the next step for valuing sustainable development. The platform influences the actors to value the sustainability criteria, because they know it will make them and future generations more healthy and happy.
• Rules and regulations: Norms cultivate reliable guidelines for daily living and contribute to the health and well-being of a culture. The future sub-system addresses these norms and values in a way that it is coherent with current cultural values regarding climate change, which will change over time. These values have influence on laws, but laws in turn have the power to change culture. When a government sets up laws that neglect the values of a culture this can lead to a negative public opinion and legal issues. Therefore, in the future sub-system, it is of utmost importance that the municipality of Texel is capable of monitoring the changing values of the people of Texel in order to maintain their authority and ethical success.

 

Preparation for the transition

Before starting the actions to reach the set long-term objectives, the Happy Texel Index will be implemented. In this way, the happiness level of the inhabitants of Texel and its visitors is measured before starting with the actions. To know what needs to be done, to raise the Happy Texel Index to the desired rate of 89, the monitoring platform will refer to the future subsystem. Here the linkages show what source and actors need to be addressed.

 

Action agenda

Several actions need to be undertaken to have short- and long-term effects on the health and happiness of the people of Texel. The actions are subdivided into the health and happiness categories for a clear overview. However, both are so interrelated that they cannot be seen as separate entities. The actions have the long-term goal of changing cultural values towards more sustainable values. The short-term effects are aimed at creating more sustainable awareness to set a base for the platform.

One essential factor in the Health, Happiness and Well-being sub-system is the integration of the fun factor into the proposals, if people can experience and enjoy sustainable related activities; they are going to be more willing to incorporate new behaviors into their daily life. The focus is to coordinate short-term proposals for people to experiment with the implementation and incorporation of sustainable ideas into their daily life, and long-term programs that thrive the switch toward a more sustainable and happy society capable to generate their own proposals and technologies to achieve and maintain Texel’s sustainability goals.

 

Health

Energy Marathon
As described in chapter 3, the platform will organize an annual Energy Marathon. The platform will present the results of the activities, projects and behavioral changes regarding sustainable development in a yearly event. The participants of the Energy Marathon will produce energy while running on an energy generative platform made by entrepreneurs and young people of Texel. A scoreboard will show scores of the life satisfaction and life expectancy of the people opposed to the ecological footprint resulting in the Happy Texel Index. Every year, participating people will become more aware of their influence on the environment and the influence of this on their own health and happiness. In order to realize this event, technological development needs to be made to make these energy-generating platforms.
Start up period: 5 years
Start: 2020
Effect: Short term

 

Energy Bikes
At the camping sites on Texel there is a limitation for electricity access. To combine this need for energy with the stimulation of exercise, the installation of spinning bikes next to the camping sites is recommended, an additional sustainable characteristic of such park is the bike’s capability of generating energy through their usage. In this way, inhabitants and tourists will share the sustainable environment that is created with an additional focus on increasing the enjoyment and awareness of the advantages of being sustainable.

Start up period: 1 year
Start: 2020
Effect: Short term

 

Restaurants with locally produced food
The system will focus on locally produced products with high levels of recycling of materials in closed loops. For this we will refer to the sub-systems “Material and Waste” and “Food & More”, as these sub-systems already set up a plan to set op restaurants with locally produced foods.
Start up period: 10 years
Start: 2020
Effect: Short term

 

Happiness

Happy Texel Index
As mentioned before, the start for the future sub-system is marked by the first measurement of the HTI. During the development of the sub-system, new measurements will be made annually. The platform will monitor the data and will make it accessible to the actors. The results and progress will be shown during the Energy Marathon.

Start up period: 2 years
Start: 2015
Effect: Long term

 

 

Experience Sustainable Texel Program
The most important action to make sure the future sub-system will have a long term effect has to do with changing long term vision of the young people by changing their values. Educational projects will be set up by the platform. These projects will have a focus on nature and the importance of human co-existence with nature. The young people will also be educated about the long term vision of Sustainable Texel to be self-sufficient with their own technologies. An effect of these actions can be seen in about 20 years.

                  This proposal is based on taking advantages of the connections between the different groups of inhabitants: young people, average Texelaars and entrepreneurs, in order to create empowerment towards sustainability and create an entrepreneurship environment in the island that inspires the development of the technologies needed for the island to achieve its sustainability goals. The mechanism of the proposal is to create a parallel education system for young people in Texel where they can explore the relationship between sustainability, entrepreneurship and Texel’s development. The contribution of entrepreneurs is to open spaces for young people to experience sustainability in real life situations and sharing their learnt lessons to create a new generation of Texelaars empowered towards sustainability and entrepreneurship.

The main differential factor of the program would be the inclusion of the fun factor, the enjoyment of learning and generating networking to support island’s development. It would be a program run on weekends (even once a month) were young people can connect with the sustainability agenda of the island in order to learn how to identify challenges to the goals and starts making proposals for changing the situation. The graduation project would be a project reflecting their own desired contribution for the island development.

In the long term, the idea is that young Texelaars, when leaving the island to go to college or university, can have ideas to work their research projects on the topics worked during their Experience Sustainable Texel Program and it inspires them to go back to the island. Moreover, it would be good to connect the program with the Texel foundation in order for the latter to create and sustain a fund to support entrepreneurial projects of young people when coming back to the island.

On the other hand, the idea of focusing on young Texelaars is to shape their values in a crucial age such that they can become a new generation with new mindsets and behaviors towards sustainability and the island, and that they can inspire average Texelaars into joining the sustainability movement. Finally, the value switch would be leaded by entrepreneurs to inspire young people, which have the power to influence their families and friends. In such a way, it is expected that in the long term the island would host a more sustainable society that inspires visitors towards joining sustainable lifestyles.

Start up period: 2 years
Start: 2020
Effect: Long term

 

Work opportunity in sustainable projects
The platform is organized in a way that it directs young people to engage in sustainable projects and it empowers entrepreneurs to start up their own company. The platform offers a place to do research on sustainable technologies and showcase ideas or prototypes. Young people and entrepreneurs are already engaged during the development of the platform, through educational projects in which entrepreneurs set an example to the young people. The platform empowers the entrepreneurs by offering insights in the current HTI and what sustainable projects are needed to reach a higher level of HTI.

Start up period: 5 years
Start: 2020
Effect: Long term

 

 

Management of green areas
The island of Texel is largely covered by green areas. To improve social strength of the people of Texel it is of importance to maintain the green areas that already exist on the island. By adding running/walking tracks, benches and sporting fields these green areas can be turned into social spaces. The main idea is to connect these spaces with the idea of sustainability and social cohesion. By keeping them in a good shape; they will attract and allow the interaction of visitors and inhabitants.

Start up period: 5 years
Start: 2015
Effect: Long term

 

 

References

Tibbs, H. (2011). "Changing Cultural Values and the Transistion to Sustainability." Journal of Future Studies 15(3): 13-32.