The linkage between internal and external (systems) change for sustainability is a research area that has rapidly grown over the last decade. However, related knowledge is still scarce and fragmented across disciplines. The article addresses this gap. It assesses how the linkages between internal and external change are portrayed and understood in current research, including the scope, perspectives and approaches used to understand why, and how, internal change relates to climate action and sustainability.
- While sustainability challenges, such as climate change, tend to be seen as external problems, this article helps us to see and address them as a human relationship crisis . It is linked to other societal crises such as psychological health, consumerism, racism, and other expressions of separation from oneself, others, and nature, says Christine Wamsler, Professor at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS).
The proposed model also highlights the importance of nourishing human inner qualities/ capacities to support transformation. Five clusters of so-called transformative qualities are identified: awareness, connection, insight, purpose, and agency. They affect our view of ourselves, others, and the world around us, our choices and how we act.
- With climate change being a complex human crisis that is intrinsically linked to the destructive separation or disconnection between humans and their world, the implications of our study for sustainability science and practice are profound. They can provide a roadmap towards a new research and policy agenda in the field, says Christine Wamsler.
The article is the first systematic review of existing research linking internal and external transformation to support sustainability and climate action. Read the full article in Global Environmental Change here.
