Draft:Merz Institute
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Merz Institute
[edit]The Merz Institute is an international, interdisciplinary research institute and registered charity based out of New Zealand. It was originally set up to address existential threats. The institute is current focused on anthropogenic ecological overshoot (and its symptoms like climate change) at the behavioural level. The institute wrote an influential paper covered by a number of leading publishers including The Guardian.[1], Vogue Business[2][3][4], Economist Impact[5], Psychology Today[6]. The paper also received rather critical coverage from GB News[7]. More broadly, the institute has a strong focus on consilience, where it works to unite siloed scientific disciplines to garner a clearer understanding of the polycrisis. Other core concepts in the institute's work are complexity; evolutionary impulses; selection by consequences; and temporal, spatial and social discounting.
Human Behavioural Crisis
[edit]World scientists' warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot
[edit]The institute published a peer-reviewed paper entitled World scientists' warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot[8] in the Sage journal Science Progress. The lead author on the paper was institute founder, Joseph Merz, and included a number of prominent co-authors including the father of the ecological footprint, William E. Rees; renowned evolutionary behavioural ecologist, Phoebe Barnard; prominent New Zealand scientist, Mike Joy; and somewhat controversially, the vice-chairman of Ogilvy, Rory Sutherland[9]. The paper was also cited by the UNDP in their Human Development Report 2023-24[10] and by Special Rapporteur Olivier De Schutter for the HRC report Eradicating poverty beyond growth[11].
Behavioural Crisis theory
[edit]The behavioural crisis theory suggests that a crisis of human behaviour is driving ecological overshoot and its myriad symptoms like climate change, ocean acidification, biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse etc. They define the behavioural crisis as stemming from a mismatch between our information and other environments and our natural environment including biophysical limits. Behaviour is central to the theory as opposed to other drivers as it is where humans physically interface with the ecosphere (and one another). The institute promotes this framing as a way to anchor at the behavioural level and then explore the upstream systemic and evolutionary drivers and influences of the behaviour[12]. The theory was also briefly explained in a side event speech by Merz at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh in 2024[13].
Advisors and Governance
[edit]The institute has a number of leading global scientists on its advisory board including Bill Rees, Phoebe Barnard, Tommy Wiedmann, and until his death Will Steffen. It also includes Greenpeace founding member, DJ White[14]. The institute is managed by its Directors, Joseph Merz, and Sebastian Murillo[15]
References
[edit]- ^ Donald, Rachel (2024-01-13). "Human 'behavioural crisis' at root of climate breakdown, say scientists". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Cernansky, Rachel (2024-01-25). "TikTok's anti-overconsumption movement is a wake-up call for brands". Vogue Business. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Cernansky, Rachel (2024-05-16). "Combatting our evolutionary addiction to shopping". Vogue Business. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Cernansky, Rachel (2024-01-11). "Can 2024 deliver radical change for the fashion industry?". Vogue Business. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ "A problem of excess: buying less to save more". impact.economist.com. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ "A Human Behavioural Crisis Threatens Humanity | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ GBNews (2024-01-13). Human 'behavioural crisis' at root of climate breakdown, say scientists | Headliners. Retrieved 2025-01-09 – via YouTube.
- ^ Merz, Joseph J; Barnard, Phoebe; Rees, William E; Smith, Dane; Maroni, Mat; Rhodes, Christopher J; Dederer, Julia H; Bajaj, Nandita; Joy, Michael K; Wiedmann, Thomas; Sutherland, Rory (2023-07-01). "World scientists' warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot". Science Progress. 106 (3): 00368504231201372. doi:10.1177/00368504231201372. ISSN 0036-8504. PMC 10515534. PMID 37728669.
- ^ DiGirolamo, Mike (2024-03-20). "Ecological overshoot is a 'behavioral crisis' & marketing is a solution: Study". Mongabay Environmental News. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Nations, United (2024-03-13). Human Development Report 2023-24 (Report). United Nations.
- ^ "A/HRC/56/61". undocs.org. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ "SEAI | Blog | The human behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot". www.seai.ie. 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Merz Institute (2024-12-08). Recording of side event opening address by Joseph Merz for COP in Riyadh. Retrieved 2025-01-09 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Earthtrust", Wikipedia, 2024-08-15, retrieved 2025-01-09
- ^ "About Us – Merz Institute". Retrieved 2025-01-09.
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