For OnePlanet, net zero is about rethinking how organisations work together across these silos, exploring how they align their strategies, data and actions around common goals, or shared outcomes, in a joined-up way. The platform enables users to visualise and link their goals using mind-maps or detailed documents.

In early 2023, South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) joined 52 other places across the UK in Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme, a nationwide innovation initiative designed to help regional authorities overcome non-technological barriers to delivering Net Zero.

SDNPA teamed up with OnePlanet, alongside Lewes District Council and the Ouse Valley Climate Action (OVCA) Partnership, to deliver the ‘Pathfinder Parks: Modelling a Common Framework to Track and Accelerate Progress Towards Net Zero in National Parks’ project.

Working together, they set out to test how OnePlanet’s systems-mapping and collaboration platform could operate at scale with many connected plans and users to support climate action across the area, highlighting the co-benefits to health, jobs, etc.

The challenge

The challenges of net zero cut across planning, transport, health, housing, community engagement and the economy, and yet they are seen as separate. Looking at those areas as interconnected areas raises issues around collaboration. Current digital tools and platforms reinforce working in silos, with different teams, departments and partners focused on individual targets. In reality, this approach can never work, but is deeply rooted in the culture of our society.

The problems we face as a society are deeply systemic. We need to understand the interconnections between them. OnePlanet is helping organisations move from working on issues in isolation to collaborating on Shared Outcomes.

– Pooran Desai, Founder, OnePlanet

There are increasing numbers of people who recognise this, but it remains very challenging to many. Whether that’s due to existing structures, departments and teams with distinct responsibilities, budgets and objectives; working to individual short-term goals rather than long-term outcomes; or even incompatible systems and approaches that make collaboration difficult. OnePlanet is overcoming this by spending time finding ways to illustrate the advantages of joined-up strategies and plans, and shortcomings of current ways of siloed working, and showing how silos can be broken down using its technology. From a neuroscience perspective, it is unlocking a different part of the brain – the right hemisphere which understands complexity.

The South Downs National Park Authority works across a large geographic area, and a complex picture of sector partners and local communities. It is a real challenge to see the bigger picture, make connections and collaborate effectively.

– Chris Fairbrother, Strategy Lead – Climate Change and Net-Zero, South Downs National Park Authority

The innovation

There is increasing recognition that we need multiple systems change to tackle the polycrises we face across climate, health, economy and trust. This commitment to systems thinking is at the heart of OnePlanet.

We face a series of overlapping crises. Success means empowering society to align around shared outcomes and building the trust to collaborate across boundaries.

– Pooran Desai, Founder, OnePlanet

Through the Pathfinder Parks project, we have had the opportunity to work closely with the OnePlanet team. With their help we set out to map, as completely as possible, all climate action that was planned or being delivered across the National Park area. The main challenge being how to ‘join-up’ action across a complex partnership spanning public, private and community-based sectors.

– Chris Fairbrother, Strategy Lead – Climate Change and Net-Zero, South Downs National Park Authority

The impact

OnePlanet is now being integrated with SDNPA’s own Performance Management System, and the Authority has signed a five-year commercial contract to continue using the technology.

We have been able to use their platform to work in partnership more effectively and in a joined-up way. It has provided us with a fantastic resource that strips away the complexity – and gets us straight to the areas where we can work together.

– Chris Fairbrother, Strategy Lead – Climate Change and Net-Zero, South Downs National Park Authority

This approach to systems thinking also led OnePlanet to co-author a white paper with world-leading neuroscientist Professor Karl Friston on how to build a planet-regenerating AI to underpin OnePlanet, technology that understands and supports interconnectivity, rather than siloed working.

What’s next?

OnePlanet is now working with central government to test the potential for its technology to connect the dots across central government policies and connect these to local and regional government. The goal? A complete shift in how organisations operate – success will be a complete paradigm shift and systems reimagining, where our whole society and economy are aligned around Shared Outcomes that promote the health of people, community, local economy and planet.

For other businesses engaging with local authorities, Pooran has some clear advice: Find a champion inside the organisation – there are always hurdles to get new technology adopted by organisations, whether in the public or private sector, so having an individual who can drive it forward is key.

Innovation is as much about individuals as organisations. If you are an individual committed to innovation in an organisation or local authority that can support you then Innovate UK programmes can support you. But you will need determination and courage to unlock the biggest benefits.

– Pooran Desai, Founder, OnePlanet