Systems Thinking for Complex Sustainability Challenges
Course Info
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Course Details
Introduction
Objective
Who should attend
In today's interconnected world, sustainability challenges are more complex than ever, requiring a systems-based approach rather than isolated problem-solving methods. Many organizations struggle with addressing sustainability because they fail to consider the interdependencies within economic, social, and environmental systems. This often leads to short-term solutions that overlook unintended consequences, wasting resources and missing opportunities for meaningful change.
Issues such as climate change, urban congestion, resource depletion, and supply chain vulnerabilities cannot be tackled in silos. Without a deep understanding of how different systems interact, organizations risk implementing ineffective sustainability strategies that fail to achieve long-term impact. How can businesses, policymakers, and sustainability leaders break this cycle?
The Systems Thinking for Complex Sustainability Challenges course provides a structured, hands-on approach to understanding, analyzing, and solving sustainability problems using systems thinking methodologies. Participants will learn how to map complex systems, identify leverage points, and develop adaptive strategies that ensure sustainable outcomes.
Through interactive case studies, practical exercises, and real-world applications, this course will equip professionals with the tools and frameworks needed to drive transformative sustainability initiatives. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of dynamic system behaviors, practical skills in strategic planning, and the confidence to implement long-term sustainability solutions within their organizations.
Course Outline
Foundations of Systems Thinking & Sustainability
- Introduction to the core principles of systems theory and the fundamentals of sustainable development.
- Overview of the evolution from linear to holistic approaches in understanding complex systems.
- Examining major sustainability frameworks (e.g., The Natural Step, Triple Bottom Line, Circles of Sustainability) and their ethical underpinnings.
- Reviewing the environmental, social, and economic dimensions that shape global sustainability challenges.
- Identifying key limitations in traditional problem-solving methods and the need for integrated, systemic thinking.
- Exercise: Create a diagram of a sample process to highlight feedback loops and boundaries.
