Learning as a driver of transformative change
Can learning change the way societies relate to nature? Constellations of Hope shows how it might.
Developed as part of the Club of Rome’s No Limits to Hope initiative, in collaboration with The Fifth Element and the WEEC Network, the collection brings together case studies from classrooms, communities and institutions around the world. These stories highlight how learning can challenge established ways of thinking, encourage collaboration and create opportunities for meaningful change.
The following DAISY partners contributed insights and experiences from the PLANET4B project, drawing on their work on transformative approaches to learning:
- Alex Franklin and Claire Lyons – Coventry University
- Eszter Kelemen and Karmen Czett – ESSRG
- Ilkhom Soliev – Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
- Ágnes Zólyomi – GreenFormation
Their contribution reflects an idea at the heart of DAISY’s work: transformation is not just about introducing new rules or technologies. It is also about how people learn together, challenge assumptions and develop the confidence and ability to do things differently.
The conference: bridging knowledge and action
No Limits to Hope is organised by the Club of Rome and the Romanian Association of the Club of Rome, and hosted by the National Bank of Romania.
The conference explores how we can bridge the gap between knowledge and action, rethink education and learning, and create the conditions for a fairer, more regenerative future.
Over three days, the programme covers a wide range of interconnected topics. These include reimagining learning for regeneration, drawing on the stories featured in Constellations of Hope, as well as finance and monetary policy, AI for collective intelligence, global population trends, materials and resources, and planetary peace.
The event also marks the upcoming centenary of Mircea Maliţa, co-author of the 1979 report to the Club of Rome, No Limits to Learning.
The report introduced the idea of a ‘human gap’: the growing distance between the complexity of global challenges and our ability to understand and respond to them. More than four decades later, its call for innovative, forward-looking and participatory learning remains as relevant as ever.
Why it matters for DAISY
DAISY’s research is built on the understanding that no single intervention can halt biodiversity loss.
Through its Transformative Intervention Mixes (TIMs) framework and a growing catalogue of real-world cases, the project explores how different approaches can work together to drive change. These include regulatory, economic, technological and social interventions, alongside the important roles of knowledge, education, values and emotions.
Learning plays a vital role in this process. It helps people understand complex challenges, explore new perspectives and find the motivation to take action.
The inclusion of contributions from DAISY partners in Constellations of Hope highlights the relevance of this approach to wider international discussions about transformative learning.
It also offers an opportunity to:
- Share insights into how combinations of interventions can support transformative change for biodiversity and equity.
- Connect DAISY’s research with wider discussions among educators, policymakers and researchers exploring new approaches to learning and systemic change.
- Highlight the importance of biodiversity and equity in conversations about finance, technology and the future of the economy.
By contributing to the collection, DAISY partners help bring experiences from biodiversity research into a broader conversation about how learning can support meaningful societal change.
Explore further
- Discover Constellations of Hope and explore inspiring stories and perspectives from educators and practitioners around the world: vist.ly/5raq5
- Learn more about the conference on the Club of Rome website.
- Interested in transformative learning? Explore the Care-Full Transformation resources developed through PLANET4B and DAISY on the Care-full Courses website.
About DAISY
DAISY – DigitAl, technologIcal and Social innovation mixes enabling transformation for biodiversity and equitY – is a research project exploring how combinations of interventions, including social and technological innovations, can help drive transformative change for biodiversity and equity.
By combining a conceptual framework with a living catalogue of real-world cases and practical tools such as the Seeds Database, DAISY supports researchers, policymakers and practitioners in understanding and designing effective combinations of interventions, rather than focusing on individual solutions alone.
