{"id":90966,"date":"2025-12-04T15:17:43","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:17:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/?p=83658"},"modified":"2026-02-16T14:11:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:11:56","slug":"3-fragen-an-ida-ovesson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/3-fragen-an-ida-ovesson\/","title":{"rendered":"3 questions for\u2026 Ida Ovesson"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn our \u201c3 Questions for...\u201d section, we regularly interview experts on topics that will have a lasting impact on the future of organizations and society. From software development and artificial intelligence to strategic foresight and attitudes toward the future, sustainability, and dealing with fears about the future \u2014 we shed light on the trends and developments that help us think and act in a future-oriented way.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Imagining a Positive Berlin 2050 \u2014 A Conversation with Journalist Ida Ovesson<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tFor our Schaltzeit blog, Andr\u00e9 Winzer spoke with journalist Ida Ovesson, whose scenario \u201cA Day in Berlin 2050\u201d for Deutsche Welle captivated us with its hopeful clarity and grounded research. We asked Ida three core questions\u2014and layered in themes that resonated deeply with our own foresight practice at Schaltzeit.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ida, how did you come to write a future scenario about Berlin\u2014and what shaped your path into journalism?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/i> Ida: <\/strong>I grew up in the forests of northern Sweden, surrounded by nature. That environment shaped me, and environmental questions have always felt personal. Later, living in Denmark and Germany opened up completely new perspectives. Coming from northern Sweden, climate action felt much more visible in Germany \u2014 partly because of the larger population, but also because there were so many demonstrations and so many people who were vegetarian or vegan. Climate engagement seemed more present at an individual level, even though Sweden of course also has highly committed climate activists, like Greta Thunberg.<\/p>

This experience didn\u2019t necessarily change how I think about climate journalism, but it did influence how I view climate action. As a journalist, I don\u2019t participate in demonstrations myself; my way of contributing is through reporting on these issues. That\u2019s where climate journalism fits into my life.<\/p>

My path into journalism happened gradually. In eighth grade I interned at a local newspaper, discovered my interest in photography, and realised I loved writing long texts. When I joined an exchange program in Bavaria, I practised German and got fascinated by international storytelling. Over time I simply combined everything I cared about\u2014writing, imagery, global perspectives. Journalism became the natural answer.<\/p>

The Berlin 2050 scenario was entirely my own idea. During my internship at Deutsche Welle, I had to do a project for my master\u2019s program. I had just taken a course in future journalism, and something clicked. I realised: you can report about futures just as you report about the present. That felt boundary-breaking. I suggested creating a future scenario\u2014initially comparing several cities\u2014but since I lived in Berlin, it made sense to start right where I was.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cWhen I read Ida\u2019s scenario for the first time, I immediately felt how much effort and thoughtful construction went into it. It wasn\u2019t just a nice idea \u2014 it was a carefully built future scenario. \u201c \u2013 Andr\u00e9 Winzer<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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How did you construct your Berlin 2050 scenario? What was difficult about making assumptions about the future?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/i> Ida: <\/strong>The scenario is grounded in real expertise and in the knowledge available at the moment. I interviewed twelve specialists across mobility, food, energy, fashion, and water \u2014 plus one \u201cfuture archaeologist,\u201d making thirteen interviews in total. I also contacted several additional experts who either did not reply or shared background information without participating in a full interview.<\/p>

My guiding question for all of them was simple: If Berlin reached climate neutrality by 2050, what would your field look like? What would have changed? What steps would have been necessary? To complement the interviews, I read IPCC reports, local transportation studies, building concepts, and articles on urban development. You quickly realise that much of the future can already be seen in small early developments.<\/p>

The hardest part was technology. It evolves so fast that concrete predictions feel risky. In my first draft, I wrote that Emilia used her phone to text her girlfriend Sophia \u2014 but an editor asked, \u201cWhat if phones don\u2019t exist anymore?\u201d It was a good point. Maybe by 2050 we\u2019ll be using lenses or something entirely different. So I removed many tech details to keep the scenario plausible rather than speculative.<\/p>

Why Emilia Lives an Ordinary Day<\/strong><\/p>

I chose to write a \u201cday in the life\u201d because it makes the future accessible. If I had only listed trends in energy, transportation or food systems, it would have become another analytical article. But following one person\u2014her routines, her commute, her small habits\u2014allows the reader to imagine themselves in that future. It\u2019s chronological, relatable, and grounded in daily life.<\/p>

I didn\u2019t have the space to include as many details as I would have liked, partly because the Deutsche Welle format is very strict. That structure had its pros and cons: I couldn\u2019t integrate all the information I had gathered, but perhaps including everything would have overwhelmed the reader as well.<\/p>

A Vision of Society Shift: From Fast Fashion to Repair Culture<\/strong><\/p>

One thing I learned is that societal futures depend on behavioural shifts. Fast fashion disappearing, repair culture growing, second-hand ecosystems expanding\u2014these aren\u2019t just lifestyle details. They change professions, patterns of consumption, and how people relate to resources. Several experts told me the same: jobs won\u2019t vanish, they will shift. Someone will need to repair clothes, manage circular stores, or maintain sharing systems. It\u2019s a reorientation, not a collapse.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cAt Schaltzeit, this resonates deeply with our own foresight work. Societal change lives in small routines\u2014habits, repairs, shared spaces\u2014not just infrastructure.\u201c \u2013 Andr\u00e9 Winzer<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What gives you hope for 2050\u2014and what role should journalism play in shaping that future?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/i> Ida:<\/strong>If I\u2019m honest, Emilia\u2014the protagonist\u2014lives a version of my ideal life. Not literally, but in spirit. A world where climate transition is a collective effort, where people collaborate, help each other, and innovation is supported by society. Many experts told me the same thing: collaboration is the key, and it starts small. One expert phrased it beautifully: \u201cWe have to take it street by street.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cFuture storytelling makes the unknown accessible. It helps people see themselves in a world that hasn\u2019t happened yet \u2014 and that\u2019s where change begins.\u201d \u2014 Ida Ovesson<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Constructive Journalism and the Future of Media<\/strong><\/p>

I believe in constructive journalism. It doesn\u2019t ignore problems\u2014but it highlights solutions and possibilities. Research suggests that one reason people avoid the news is that it often feels overwhelmingly negative and fast, although there are of course other factors involved. We have \u201cfast fashion\u201d and now we have \u201cfast media.\u201d I think journalism must shift: not necessarily toward long texts, but meaningful stories, short or long, that still carry emotional depth.<\/p>

Maybe the future is more feature-driven, boundary-breaking, cross-format storytelling. And I don\u2019t think AI can replace journalists completely. It can help us\u2014but the human touch, the ability to listen, connect, feel\u2014that stays essential.<\/p>

What Gives Ida Hope for 2050<\/strong><\/p>

What gives me hope is imagining a world in which people collaborate more naturally, where environmental responsibility is shared, where innovation is guided by values, and where changes happen step by step\u2014neighbourhood by neighbourhood, street by street. And that we can still create this world if we decide to.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cWe underestimate how much power lies in everyday choices. Futures are built in the quiet routines we barely notice.\u201d \u2014 Ida Ovesson<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We would like to thank Ida for her time and for this inspiring interview.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why We at Schaltzeit Appreciate Ida\u2019s Work<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIda didn\u2019t set out to predict the future \u2014 she wanted to inspire people to see a better future. All that could be possible if we choose to act together. If we take the change street by street. Collaboration doesn\u2019t start globally \u2014 it starts with the people right beside us.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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