Imaginary and socio-ecological prospective scenarios

In conclusion, this module aims to formalise reflections and questions on various issues through the prism of socio-ecological issues: the issues of imaginaries, prospective scenarios and their integration into an engineering approach.

Given that the socio-ecological crises we are experiencing call for desirable courses of action and projections for the future that can engage, give hope and guide initiatives, it may be interesting to look at the obstacles and levers at work when it comes to psychological, social and cultural issues.

Cultural obstacles are often barriers to change that are not sufficiently taken into account in engineering approaches, whereas focusing on the challenges of the imagination can help to address these issues and identify levers for action.

In an engineering approach, prospective scenarios enable us to:

• Break down barriers between certain ‘technical’ issues by integrating them into more interdisciplinary approaches;

• Equip forward-looking initiatives to guide technical choices by taking into account their socio-ecological consequences;

• Adopt an approach that enables more informed engineering initiatives marked by socio-technical discernment.

Imaginaries and narratives are omnipresent and shape our societies. They exist on several levels, both individual and collective, and are not equivalent: some are dominant and others alternative.

Some of today's dominant narratives are completely out of step with socio-ecological issues. Yet these issues are based on physical and material realities that are scientifically established and already at work. No narrative is neutral: all are part of specific socio-technical contexts and have different social and environmental impacts. Thus, consciously or unconsciously, each individual and each group, through their choices, trajectories and actions, becomes part of narratives and helps to fuel some rather than others. Being aware of the narratives we are part of allows us to act in a more informed manner and can enable us to align our values with what we truly embody.

Engineers, like professionals in any other field, have a responsibility to equip themselves with tools to guide their choices and make decisions that take into account their social and environmental consequences.

In this context, prospective scenarios can be useful tools because they enable:

• To open up new possibilities for moving beyond learned helplessness and inaction, and to think beyond existing obstacles;

• To provide quantified and scientific tools and resources to guide future socio-technical choices;

• To develop resources for discussion and debate, using common language and references;

• To facilitate decision-making and action towards certain scenarios.

• There is a wide variety of prospective scenarios covering different geographical areas and time horizons, each focusing on specific objectives and themes.

• To better understand the issues at stake in each scenario and to outline a critical approach to them, an analysis grid tool has been proposed that can be applied to any type of prospective scenario.

The ADEME scenarios outline four possible scenarios for France to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The specifics of each scenario and the changes they imply for the engineering profession are explored in this module.

We have explored the links between imagination, narratives, scenarios and engineering. This module is only an introduction to questions and reflections that are much more complex and extensive than the scope of this course. If you found this interesting, there are many resources available to explore these topics in greater depth! This module does not claim or aim to offer a methodology for integrating these issues into engineering approaches. Its sole purpose is to formalise reflections, questions and resources, and to create links between them with a view to encouraging people to explore the subject further, discuss it and seek ways of incorporating these issues into their activities.

If you want to go further, we don't have any specific advice because these paths should be explored further according to your contexts, your interests and where you want to go. If you would like to discuss these issues, please do not hesitate to contact the creators of the module!