Storytelling for Sustainability

Advancing Sustainable Solutions

If we want to imagine a more sustainable future, we need to be emotionally connected with that vision. Providing the latest facts and figures alone won’t do the trick. We suggest storytelling can be a great way to convey these facts in a compelling way to envision and connect with a possible future. Stories are an effective narrative device, because they activate areas of the brain responsible for memories, emotions, and critical thinking. As such, stories can be a powerful tool to engage, inspire, and imagine. In this episode, we consider the why, what, and how of storytelling. Why do we need storytelling? What makes an effective story? And, how may we implement storytelling in our own contexts? To help imagine how we can tell our own stories, we discuss with Per Grankvist – Chief Storyteller at Viable Cities – and Ludwig Bengtsson Sonesson – project leader at Lund University involved in examples ‘Carbon Ruins’ and ‘Rough Planet Guide – Notterdam’. We hope to inspire the storyteller in all of us – to speak from our hearts while using our brains for the facts and figures.