Global Issues.

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Exponential automation

Automation is likely to have far-reaching consequences on the topic of employment. Simultaneously it will pose a question not asked since the start of the industrial revolution: what is the purpose of work? Secondly; How do we want to live?
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Growing inequality

Eight people have the same amount of wealth as the entire bottom half of the planet - and the gap is growing.  The far-reaching effects of inequality are increased social unrest, poor access to health, education and food systems.
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Environmental abuse

One of the key concerns of future generations is the human relationship with the ecosystem they live in and depend on. As it stands, our current economic paradigm is one of the key drivers of environmental destabilisation across all natural resources and lifeforms. 

Our manifesto

C.UBI is an initiative that proposes a preliminary framework to finance a universal basic income (UBI) within the context of the circular economy. 
Create prosperity for people and the environment by creating a socio-economic system that works in the long term.

We believe our world’s socio economic structure is in need of a re-design. By utilising the tools and methods of design, we are setting out to create a framework that contributes to this process by:

  1. focusing on re-distribution of resources and the wealth derived thereof
  2. the establishment of a circular economy and full supply chain transparency
  3. introduction of basic income

We believe these three components - when combined - can create a framework that is going to help up to gradually change the face of our sociological and economic reality. The ultimate goal is for this framework to be adopted and integrated by businesses and governments across the world. Before this happens we will be partnering with people in the academic, business and policy fields to create a rigorous framework that is flexible and modular in order for its value to be maximised in different geographies with different demographic realities. 

We understand that this is a monumental task which has a variety of implications with many challenges ahead. However, we also believe that if we genuinely want to create a more equal and fair future for human beings across the globe coupled to an ecologically balanced economic future, we must start operating in an extended time-cycle than that aims beyond the current political and economic paradigm.

 

So what is the framework?

It starts with an understanding that all those on the planet have equal rights to the fruits of the planet. As was verbalised rather nicely by Thomas Paine;

“the earth, in its natural, uncultivated state was, and ever (would have) continued to be, the common property of the human race”.

Obviously since then a lot has changed. The richest 8 people of the world own as much as the bottom 50%, most of them having accumulated their wealth through wood (paper), oil and ocean transport and most recently selling us advertising. 

As he then understood - and we as modern humans are slowly starting to re-discover, is that inequality creates a multitude of problems for society. From health to food to energy, primarily hitting those who are the most vulnerable already. 

A shift towards a fairer distribution of wealth will have to involve redistributing the profits derived from planetary resources to all people equally within their daily economic realities and contexts. Let us be clear, we’re not talking about communism, socialism - or any other -ism for that matter. Design is inherently a-political, rather; the seeking of a solution within a defined set of restrictions. That it will have political implications is another conversation. 
We see this defined set as followed;

  1. human beings deserve a living wage

  2. profits from ecosystem resources cannot only contribute to private wealth

  3. economic growth must be based in ecological reality

All three of our outlined ‘restrictions’ are in direct contrast to our current economic paradigm. As such we are looking for allies that agree to these restrictions and believe that - though it will be difficult - this is a reasonable thing to ask of a world that has never been richer statistically nor more connected. 

 

Premise

In a circular economy, what we’ll need is completely transparent value- and supply-chains. This means that the resources used within a circular economy would be: traced and stored across all industries; through to individual manufacturing sites; down to the household consumption level. 

Utilising technologies such as blockchain and automated systems will enable secure and independent tracing of usage and allocation, allowing for non-partisan decision-making regarding the taxation. 

This will enable a clear overview of what planetary resources are used for what purpose. This data is already available - however there is currently no economic incentive nor legal framework to enforce sustainable usage of these resources. 

Our proposal would set out to include the so-called ‘externalities’ (water, soil, air, non-renewable resources) in the cost of production - (as they are currently ‘free’, or virtually so for corporations- and tax their usage and the value derived to fund a universal basic income. 

We understand this will likely create resistance in both the business and government community, however; it is the only way to ensure a sustainable economic structure that does not increase the current inequality levels. It’s time to face the music and hold responsible those who value most of the use of the commons. 

Read about our goals here.