SUSTAINABILITY: AN
INTERDISIPLINARY
APPROACH
Waldo Galle – Bieke Abelshausen
Pauline Delphine Verhelst
VUB | 2020-2021
,Table of contents
Part 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3
1. Introduction to sustainability ........................................................................................ 3
1.1. Sustainability and sustainable development ......................................................... 3
1.1.1. Origin ............................................................................................................. 3
1.1.2. Development goals ........................................................................................ 4
1.1.3. A limit to growth? .......................................................................................... 6
1.2. Change ................................................................................................................... 6
1.3. Interdisciplinarity ............................................................................................... 7
1.4. Transdisciplinary .................................................................................................... 7
1.4.1. Participation................................................................................................... 7
1.5. Assets versus needs ............................................................................................... 9
1.5.1. Asset based community development .......................................................... 9
1.5.2. Capitals framework: aspects of a community ecosystem.............................. 9
Part 2: Theme sessions ..................................................................................................... 11
1. Climate change ............................................................................................................ 11
2. Industrial value chain: a bridge towards a climate neutral Europe ............................. 12
3. Electric mobility: the transition towards a sustainable mobility ................................. 13
4. Transport and health ................................................................................................... 14
5. Sustainable diets .......................................................................................................... 14
6. Biodiversity and ecosystem services ........................................................................... 15
7. Corporate social responsibility .................................................................................... 16
8. Circular economy ......................................................................................................... 16
9. The pathway to sustainable energy: orders of magnitude and main challenges ........ 17
10. Political and economic aspects of energy distribution ............................................ 17
Part 3: Empowerment sessions ......................................................................................... 18
1. Visions on sustainability, successful collaborations .................................................... 18
2. Complex adaptive systems, wicked problems ............................................................. 18
2.1. How wolves change rivers ................................................................................... 18
2.2. Working with wicked problems ........................................................................... 19
2.3. What is a complex system? ................................................................................. 21
3. Systems thinking and doing ......................................................................................... 23
3.1. Systems mapping causal loop diagrams .............................................................. 23
3.2. Working with value network maps ...................................................................... 24
3.3. Reflection questions ............................................................................................ 24
1
, 4. Transition management .............................................................................................. 24
4.1. Multiple level perspective ................................................................................... 25
4.2. Two loops model ................................................................................................. 27
4.3. Transition management cycle.............................................................................. 32
4.4. Reflection ............................................................................................................. 33
5. Appreciative inquiry .................................................................................................... 34
5.1. Motivational interviewing ................................................................................... 35
5.2. Dimensions of identity ......................................................................................... 37
Part 4: text wicked problems (Appendix) .......................................................................... 39
1 guiding idea: wicked problems ......................................................................................... 39
3 ways of dealing with complexity ...................................................................................... 39
1. Ideas ........................................................................................................................ 39
2. Dialogue ................................................................................................................... 39
3. Design ...................................................................................................................... 40
5 ways of knowing and engaging ......................................................................................... 40
1. Soft system methodology ........................................................................................ 40
2. Transition management .......................................................................................... 41
3. Future scenarios ...................................................................................................... 41
4. Design thinking ........................................................................................................ 42
5. Appreciative inquiry................................................................................................. 42
Part 5: Group assignment ................................................................................................. 42
2
,Part 1: Introduction
1. Introduction to sustainability
1.1. Sustainability and sustainable development
- Sustainable development
o Intergenerational thinking
- Anthropocentrism
o Worldview
o View that is based on experience and values, what we learn from other
generations, what do we want in the future
- Techno centrism
o Stems from anthropocentrism
o Thinks that technology is a solution for all the problems
- Ecocentrism
o When you don’t think of yourself as the center of the world
o Every specie is as important
- Sustainable development
o Anthropocentrism + techno centrism
1.1.1. Origin
- Comes from the human beings to sustain/ keep/ preserve themselves
- Development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs
- Rachael Carson -Silent Spring –1962
o Contested the negative effects of pesticides
- Tragedy of the Commons –Garret Hardin –1968
o Self-interest versus common good (e.g., atmosphere, oceans...)
- Blueprint for Survival –The Ecologist –1972
o Radically restructuring of society
- Limits to Growth report –Club of Rome –1972
o Limits to population and economic growth
- United Nations Conference on the Human Environment -1972
o Stockholm Declaration –principles for environment and development
o Developed and developing countries
- Various national efforts
o Environmental Protection Agencies
- Our Common Future (Brundtland report) –World Commission on Environment and
Development –1987
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present,
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
- United Nations Conference on Environment and Development –Rio De Janeiro –1992
o Recognition of sustainable development by 178 national governments
3
, 1.1.2. Development goals
- People planet profit (prosperity)
o Development idea
o Taking care of people and planet
- The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) –United Nations –2000 (until 2015)
o Eradicate poverty
o Primary education
o Gender equality
o Child mortality
o Maternal health
o Disease (HIV/AIDS, malaria...)
o Environmental sustainability
o Global partnership for development
- The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) –United Nations –2015 (until 2030)
o 17 Goals
Goal 15. Protect, restore and
promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests,
combat desertification, and
halt and reverse land
degradation and halt
biodiversity loss
§ 169 targets (divided over 17 goals)
§ 15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of
natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and
prevent the extinction of threatened species
• 232 global indicators
§ 15.5. Red List Index
- From MDG’s to SDG’s
MDG’s SDG’s
People-planet-profit People – planet – prosperity – peace –
- John Ellington – 1994 partnership
- Triple bottom line - United nations 2015
4
INTERDISIPLINARY
APPROACH
Waldo Galle – Bieke Abelshausen
Pauline Delphine Verhelst
VUB | 2020-2021
,Table of contents
Part 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3
1. Introduction to sustainability ........................................................................................ 3
1.1. Sustainability and sustainable development ......................................................... 3
1.1.1. Origin ............................................................................................................. 3
1.1.2. Development goals ........................................................................................ 4
1.1.3. A limit to growth? .......................................................................................... 6
1.2. Change ................................................................................................................... 6
1.3. Interdisciplinarity ............................................................................................... 7
1.4. Transdisciplinary .................................................................................................... 7
1.4.1. Participation................................................................................................... 7
1.5. Assets versus needs ............................................................................................... 9
1.5.1. Asset based community development .......................................................... 9
1.5.2. Capitals framework: aspects of a community ecosystem.............................. 9
Part 2: Theme sessions ..................................................................................................... 11
1. Climate change ............................................................................................................ 11
2. Industrial value chain: a bridge towards a climate neutral Europe ............................. 12
3. Electric mobility: the transition towards a sustainable mobility ................................. 13
4. Transport and health ................................................................................................... 14
5. Sustainable diets .......................................................................................................... 14
6. Biodiversity and ecosystem services ........................................................................... 15
7. Corporate social responsibility .................................................................................... 16
8. Circular economy ......................................................................................................... 16
9. The pathway to sustainable energy: orders of magnitude and main challenges ........ 17
10. Political and economic aspects of energy distribution ............................................ 17
Part 3: Empowerment sessions ......................................................................................... 18
1. Visions on sustainability, successful collaborations .................................................... 18
2. Complex adaptive systems, wicked problems ............................................................. 18
2.1. How wolves change rivers ................................................................................... 18
2.2. Working with wicked problems ........................................................................... 19
2.3. What is a complex system? ................................................................................. 21
3. Systems thinking and doing ......................................................................................... 23
3.1. Systems mapping causal loop diagrams .............................................................. 23
3.2. Working with value network maps ...................................................................... 24
3.3. Reflection questions ............................................................................................ 24
1
, 4. Transition management .............................................................................................. 24
4.1. Multiple level perspective ................................................................................... 25
4.2. Two loops model ................................................................................................. 27
4.3. Transition management cycle.............................................................................. 32
4.4. Reflection ............................................................................................................. 33
5. Appreciative inquiry .................................................................................................... 34
5.1. Motivational interviewing ................................................................................... 35
5.2. Dimensions of identity ......................................................................................... 37
Part 4: text wicked problems (Appendix) .......................................................................... 39
1 guiding idea: wicked problems ......................................................................................... 39
3 ways of dealing with complexity ...................................................................................... 39
1. Ideas ........................................................................................................................ 39
2. Dialogue ................................................................................................................... 39
3. Design ...................................................................................................................... 40
5 ways of knowing and engaging ......................................................................................... 40
1. Soft system methodology ........................................................................................ 40
2. Transition management .......................................................................................... 41
3. Future scenarios ...................................................................................................... 41
4. Design thinking ........................................................................................................ 42
5. Appreciative inquiry................................................................................................. 42
Part 5: Group assignment ................................................................................................. 42
2
,Part 1: Introduction
1. Introduction to sustainability
1.1. Sustainability and sustainable development
- Sustainable development
o Intergenerational thinking
- Anthropocentrism
o Worldview
o View that is based on experience and values, what we learn from other
generations, what do we want in the future
- Techno centrism
o Stems from anthropocentrism
o Thinks that technology is a solution for all the problems
- Ecocentrism
o When you don’t think of yourself as the center of the world
o Every specie is as important
- Sustainable development
o Anthropocentrism + techno centrism
1.1.1. Origin
- Comes from the human beings to sustain/ keep/ preserve themselves
- Development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs
- Rachael Carson -Silent Spring –1962
o Contested the negative effects of pesticides
- Tragedy of the Commons –Garret Hardin –1968
o Self-interest versus common good (e.g., atmosphere, oceans...)
- Blueprint for Survival –The Ecologist –1972
o Radically restructuring of society
- Limits to Growth report –Club of Rome –1972
o Limits to population and economic growth
- United Nations Conference on the Human Environment -1972
o Stockholm Declaration –principles for environment and development
o Developed and developing countries
- Various national efforts
o Environmental Protection Agencies
- Our Common Future (Brundtland report) –World Commission on Environment and
Development –1987
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present,
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
- United Nations Conference on Environment and Development –Rio De Janeiro –1992
o Recognition of sustainable development by 178 national governments
3
, 1.1.2. Development goals
- People planet profit (prosperity)
o Development idea
o Taking care of people and planet
- The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) –United Nations –2000 (until 2015)
o Eradicate poverty
o Primary education
o Gender equality
o Child mortality
o Maternal health
o Disease (HIV/AIDS, malaria...)
o Environmental sustainability
o Global partnership for development
- The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) –United Nations –2015 (until 2030)
o 17 Goals
Goal 15. Protect, restore and
promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests,
combat desertification, and
halt and reverse land
degradation and halt
biodiversity loss
§ 169 targets (divided over 17 goals)
§ 15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of
natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and
prevent the extinction of threatened species
• 232 global indicators
§ 15.5. Red List Index
- From MDG’s to SDG’s
MDG’s SDG’s
People-planet-profit People – planet – prosperity – peace –
- John Ellington – 1994 partnership
- Triple bottom line - United nations 2015
4
