The glass-ceiling that curtails deep socio-environmental change exists, and has already been reached, restricting environmental improvement beyond mere reformism. Not only does the glass-ceiling exist, but it serves to demonstrate that reformism is not able to provide the depth, breadth or speed necessary for meaningful socio-environmental changes or deliver sustainable prosperity: we have reached ‘peak sustainable development’. However, this glass-ceiling is a fact of our current ‘imaginary’ and not a fact of society per se. An imaginary is the comprehensive network of symbols, frames and institutions that we collectively share and which makes society possible, gives it meaning, and determines its trajectory. In the current liberal imaginary, the ‘sovereign subject’ is the ultimate end of prosperity, and this ensures that the individual’s (or a nation’s) preferences are paramount, and will always trump competing and/or antithetical concerns of others. It is my contention that the liberal imaginary prevents deep change because such change will involve compromises and perceived losses that are antithetical to the individual preferences of the sovereign subjects. This ensures that not only is there very little political and industry will for environmental action, but that there is a corresponding dearth of will among citizens (consumers) as well.
I submit then that nothing short of radical, imaginary-level change is necessary to face the impending eco-crises and configure sustainable prosperity. My research focusses on devising a heuristic schema of imaginaries, from which to develop a radical new imaginary based on socio-ecological embeddedness, which envisages a central role for a ‘moral domain’ as well as a rehabilitated public domain, and is particularly concerned with sustainable, local and equitable futures.