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Questions and answers

This website and the essay may raise the following questions.

What is decision change?

Decision change is the design of a procedure to decide on system change. We prefer the term 'decision change' to 'decision-making change' to contrast it with 'system change'.

What are examples of decision-making procedures? 

Informed deliberation, such as by the global assembly of a hundred randomly chosen world citizens; voting, possibly with the right to veto, as with the United Nations; and epistemic decision making (based on knowledge and reason) such as by experts, judges (say, the International Court of Justice), or using multiple-attribute group decision-making.*

 

* Table 1 in essay.

Who are these experts in decision-making?

Decision-making covers vast fields of theory and expertise: theories of deliberation, voting, international relations, and much more.*

 

* Table 1 in essay.

So, only decision-making experts design a procedure with which others decide on system change?

No. The experts are assisted and monitored by auxiliary bodies. Suggestions for these bodies are a verification group, overview board, and argumentation council.*   

 

*Appendix B, ’Safeguarding the design process’  

Would only experts design system change?

Probably not. Initially, experts in some subject area submit proposals for system change (see next question). At a later stage, more such proposals and arguments would have to be submitted; the newly designed decision-making procedure is likely to include additional proposals and arguments because these can only improve the system change designs. Notably, these subject-matter experts are not to be confused with experts in decision-making, who design the procedure to decide on these proposals -- except when governance is the subject matter.

Why collect system-change proposals before the decision-making body has been established?

First, collecting proposals for system change at an early stage provides a head start, that is, it avoids re-inventing the wheel and, if the decision-making body is composed of many people, it keeps discussions a short as possible. Second, proposals can readily be collected by actively approaching subject-matter experts instead of waiting for submissions from a public consultation, as the programme initially will not be widely known. Third, collecting proposals at an early stage will show decision-making experts and members of auxiliary bodies that there will be something to decide on.

Why would the decision-making body in some cases not need authority?

Mechanisms exist which do not require any authority because they are strategy-proof, that is, participants cannot profit from misreporting their private information.*

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* Appendix B, ’System-change design’

Why would the UN be exclu-ded from the design of a decision-making procedure? *

* Appendix A, 'Adequacy of the programme'  

Representatives of UN member states are excluded from the design of a decision-making procedure, even though they have expertise in international relations, because they are not independent, that is, they would probably be inclined to promote a procedure that is most profitable for the nation they represent. This would lead back to the present model for the COPs: consensus, which in practice allows issuing a veto.* Decision-making experts from the UN staff might be included if their independency is beyond any doubt.

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* Reference to Rietig et al.  

Why is governance part of a system? 

A system consists of things and living beings as well as a body of rules rather than the laws of nature. This is expressed by the banner text ``System change, not climate change!'' Example rules are treaties, legislation, and moral codes. The application of rules is governance: the 'continuous coordination of common affairs.' So, governance is even an essential part of a system.

Is there a short text other than on this site?  

Yes, select one of the following or contact us.

  • Press release with 'a plan for a plan for the planet'.​

  • Blog 'Deadly Delusions and the Imperative for Decision Change' in Global Policy Online.

  • A poster displayed Sept. 24-26, 2024 at Springtij.

  • Tweet on X.

  • Dutch reaction on 2023 elections in the Netherlands.

  • Dutch reaction on plea for COP29 reform.

  • Linkedin channel about lack of media coverage of UNGA79, Planetary Health Check presentation etc.

  • Article in Medium and Substack after COP29 and the 'plastic conference' December 2024.

Additionally, the article mentioned at the bottom of this page has been enhanced in a postprint. 

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