The Planetworkshops

The Planetworkshops is a French think tank and collaborative initiative platform established in 2006 by journalist and media consultant Eric Bazin and American media executive George J. Gendelman. Its stated purpose is to promote sustainable development and help initiate transformations in social, economic and governance models. Rather than operating as a conventional consumer-facing brand, it functions as a forum for research, debate, publications, multi-stakeholder commissions and field programs. The organization developed an interdisciplinary approach bringing together businesses, public institutions, academic communities, civil-society organizations and international experts. Its work has addressed sustainable mobility, climate change, biodiversity, social entrepreneurship, environmental governance, international negotiations and the relationship between economic development and ecological limits. The Planetworkshops has commissioned or co-produced studies with organizations including the Médiascopie Institute, Harris Interactive, SNCF, Mobivia Group, Natureparif, Greenext, Kurt Salmon, Green Cross France and Territories, Orée and ESSEC-IRENE. A significant part of its activity has involved working commissions. Materials associated with the organization describe commissions on internationalizing social entrepreneurship, transforming business governance through social and environmental responsibility, mediation in environmental disputes, redesigning international climate negotiations, equitable sharing of genetic biodiversity resources and the conditions for the emergence of a “Blue Society.” These initiatives were designed as cross-sector and transdisciplinary exercises rather than as conventional commercial products. The Planetworkshops also created and supported communication and knowledge platforms. Its publications included studies on public language and actors in sustainable development, sustainable mobility, climate change, biodiversity, industrial production and crisis management. It launched La Revue de la Terre, a French geopolitical publication focused on environmental issues, sustainable development and changing societal models. A white book produced after the sixth edition of the Global Conference in September 2011 was presented as material contributing to preparations for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, commonly known as Rio+20. The organization’s field-oriented work included support for solar lighting through the Lighting a Billion Lives initiative associated with The Energy and Resources Institute, an agroecology training project in Niger and a UNESCO-related educational chair in Togo concerning women, water and health. The Niger program, opened in May 2011, was developed with Point Afrique solidarités and the Pierre Rabhi Foundation and aimed to help farmers reduce dependence on purchased agricultural inputs while improving yields and protecting biodiversity. The Togo initiative was established with the Bolloré Group and involved participants from several Francophone West African countries. Publicly available reference material provides substantial information about the organization’s programs and founders but does not establish a current corporate ownership structure, listed status, financial scale or definitive present operating status. The Planetworkshops is therefore best characterized as an independent sustainability-oriented think tank and convening platform whose historical work combined content production, public debate and practical development projects.

The Planetworkshops was created in France in 2006 by Eric Bazin and George J. Gendelman. Bazin is described as a French journalist and founder of Satelight, a consulting and photographic-production company that collaborated with international and European media organizations and supported photography exhibitions associated with UNESCO. Gendelman is an American media executive who previously managed international operations for New York Times Syndication Sales and served as circulation director of the International Herald Tribune. He also founded the International Press Syndicate in 1990, a consultancy focused on media strategy and copyright management for international media groups. The founders’ media backgrounds shaped The Planetworkshops’ role as a producer and distributor of ideas concerning sustainable development. The organization sought to connect environmental questions with economic governance, public policy, social entrepreneurship and wider changes in societal models. Its operating method emphasized commissions and partnerships involving several types of actors rather than a single institutional or disciplinary perspective. From 2011 onward, the organization described six working commissions. These covered the internationalization of social entrepreneurship; the transformation of corporate governance through social and environmental responsibility; mediation as a response to environmental disputes; the redesign of international climate-change negotiations; equitable access to and sharing of genetic biodiversity resources; and the emergence of a “Blue Society.” The commissions involved or were connected with academic, business, civil-society and international participants. One climate-negotiation commission was described as consisting exclusively of students from schools and universities around the world. The Planetworkshops also commissioned and published studies. These included research on the language used to describe co-construction and sustainable development, sustainable mobility, biodiversity, climate change, industrial production’s ecological impact and the relationship between crisis, risk and opportunity. Partners and contributors named in the organization’s reference material included the Médiascopie Institute, Harris Interactive, SNCF, Mobivia Group, Natureparif, Greenext, Kurt Salmon, Green Cross France and Territories, Orée and ESSEC-IRENE. Publication activity included La Revue de la Terre, a French geopolitical review focused on environmental issues, sustainable development and societal change. The organization also issued a white book following the sixth edition of the Global Conference in September 2011. That document was described as contributing material to preparations for the 2012 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The organization’s work extended beyond publications and debate. It supported or participated in field programs involving renewable energy, agricultural practices and education. In connection with The Energy and Resources Institute’s Lighting a Billion Lives initiative, it worked within a program using solar-lighting devices as alternatives to kerosene lamps and paraffin candles, with expansion plans covering several African countries. In Niger, The Planetworkshops opened a center in May 2011 and, with Point Afrique solidarités and the Pierre Rabhi Foundation, initiated agroecology training at a site near Niamey. The project aimed to reduce farmers’ recurring input costs, improve agricultural yields and protect biodiversity and crops. In Togo, it founded a UNESCO-related chair on women, water and health with the Bolloré Group; the initiative involved institutions or participants from Burkina Faso, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Togo. Available sources document the organization’s founding, programs and publications but do not clearly establish its present leadership, ownership, financial structure or continuing activity. Its current status should therefore be treated as unconfirmed.

• 2011

  Working commissions and sustainability studies expand

  [1]The Planetworkshopsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization documents six multi-actor commissions and publishes or supports studies on sustainable development, mobility, climate, biodiversity and business transformation.

• 2011

  Agroecology center opens in Niger

  [1]The Planetworkshopsen.wikipedia.org

  The Planetworkshops opens a center in Niger and works with Point Afrique solidarités and the Pierre Rabhi Foundation on agroecology training near Niamey.

• 2011

  La Revue de la Terre is launched

  [1]The Planetworkshopsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization launches La Revue de la Terre, a French publication addressing environmental geopolitics, sustainable development and societal change.

• 2011

  Global Conference white book is issued

  [1]The Planetworkshopsen.wikipedia.org

  A white book following the sixth edition of the Global Conference is produced as a contribution to preparation for the 2012 Rio+20 Earth Summit.

• 2007

  Lighting a Billion Lives initiative begins

  [1]The Planetworkshopsen.wikipedia.org

  The Energy and Resources Institute begins the Lighting a Billion Lives initiative, later associated with The Planetworkshops’ field-oriented sustainability work.

• 2006

  The Planetworkshops is established

  [1]The Planetworkshopsen.wikipedia.org

  Eric Bazin and George J. Gendelman create The Planetworkshops in France as a think tank focused on sustainable development and transformation of societal models.

A French, cross-sector think tank and project platform that connects sustainability research, public debate, business transformation and field-level development initiatives.

• Environmental and geopolitical publication · 2011

  La Revue de la Terre

  A French publication launched by The Planetworkshops in connection with the Global Conference. It examines environmental geopolitics, sustainable development and changes in societal models, extending the organization’s role from convening discussions into recurring editorial production.

• Policy publication · 2011

  Global Conference White Book

  A policy-oriented document associated with the sixth edition of the Global Conference in September 2011. The publication summarized or developed conference-related ideas and was described as contributing material to preparations for the United Nations’ 2012 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

• Research and stakeholder program · 2011

  Sustainability working commissions

  A series of interdisciplinary commissions bringing together actors from business, academia, public institutions and civil society. Topics included social entrepreneurship, responsible business governance, environmental dispute mediation, climate negotiations, biodiversity-resource sharing and the development of a Blue Society model.

• Development and training program · 2011

  Agroecology training center in Niger

  A field program developed near Niamey with Point Afrique solidarités and the Pierre Rabhi Foundation. Its objective was to train farmers in agroecological practices that could lower recurring input costs, improve yields and protect biodiversity, crops and local ecosystems.

• Renewable-energy access program · 2007

  Lighting a Billion Lives

  A solar-lighting initiative led by The Energy and Resources Institute and associated with The Planetworkshops’ field activities. It sought to replace kerosene lamps and paraffin candles with solar lighting and included pilot activity in multiple African countries.

• 2011Agroecology in Niger

  Niger

  The organization established a center near Niamey with Point Afrique solidarités and the Pierre Rabhi Foundation to provide agroecology training and promote lower-input farming practices.

  Outcome. The stated objectives were to reduce farmers’ dependence on purchased inputs, improve yields and preserve biodiversity, but the available material does not quantify results.

  Source
• 2007Lighting a Billion Lives

  India · Cameroon · Sierra Leone · Central African Republic · Uganda · Malawi · Kenya · Ethiopia

  The Planetworkshops supported or participated in work connected with The Energy and Resources Institute’s solar-lighting initiative, which aimed to replace kerosene and paraffin lighting with cleaner solar devices and expand access in underserved communities.

  Outcome. The reference material records pilot and expansion activity but does not provide a verified final impact figure.

  Source
• UNESCO Chair in Togo

  Togo · Burkina Faso · Mali · Côte d’Ivoire · Senegal

  The Planetworkshops founded a UNESCO-related educational chair addressing women, water and health, in collaboration with the Bolloré Group and involving Francophone West African countries.

  Outcome. The initiative was described as addressing a subject with limited existing higher-education provision in Togo and Francophone West Africa; later outcomes are not documented in the supplied sources.

  Source

• 2011

  Adoption of a multi-actor commission modelStrategy

  Background

  The organization sought to address sustainability questions that crossed business, public policy, academic and civil-society boundaries.

  Action taken

  It initiated six transdisciplinary working commissions on social entrepreneurship, responsible governance, environmental disputes, climate negotiations, biodiversity resources and the Blue Society concept.

  Aftermath

  The commissions broadened the organization’s activity beyond publishing into structured stakeholder collaboration. No independently verified long-term results are provided.

  Source

• 2011

  Launch of La Revue de la TerreProduct launch

  Background

  The Planetworkshops was developing a public-facing body of work on environmental geopolitics and societal transformation.

  Action taken

  It launched La Revue de la Terre in connection with the Global Conference.

  Aftermath

  The publication extended the organization’s communications and knowledge-production activities, although its subsequent continuity is not confirmed.

  Source

1. 1The Planetworkshopsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Planetworkshops official websiteplanetworkshops.org