Casting Long-Term and Regenerative Perspectives on Global Sustainability through Systems and Resilience Thinking

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to foster long-term and regenerative perspectives on global sustainability. In pursuing this goal, this study encompasses a critical analysis and synthesis of insights from the fields of systems and resilience thinking, a conceptual framework for modeling and envisioning socio-ecological systems, and the proposition of the “flourishing within boundaries” archetype, which is conceived to provide meaningful insights regarding the essential conditions that would enable global society to flourish not just safely but also fairly. Through systems dynamics modeling, portrayed scenarios emphasize that the higher the regenerative societal change achieved, the greater the exponential behavior of the system’s speed towards promising socio-ecological outcomes. Especially for longer time horizons, the overall results reveal that the pace of the transitions associated with the societal action is inherently higher than those associated with the limiting social and ecological factors. Actions taken by individuals in the local realm and short-term time horizon may not only have immediate local effects but also a variety of innumerous ones that radiate out for years, decades, and even centuries to come. Finally, the pursuit of flourishing within boundaries relies on thinking rationally, globally, and above all, through a long-term and regenerative perspective.