4.1. Sustainability transformation

Broadly speaking, sustainability transformation (or sustainability transition) means a change at the societal level in which the aim is to make societies ecologically, socially, economically and culturally sustainable. The most important and urgent task of the sustainability transformation is to reduce the adverse effects which maintain and exacerbate environmental crises, especially in high-income countries. In countries with a lower income, it is particularly important to provide people with the necessary preconditions for good life while local environmental issues are being solved. This also requires adapting to changes in the state of the environment, such as climate change. However, when the sustainability transformation is discussed, the focus is usually specifically on changes required in high-income countries to alleviate harmful environmental effects.

In public discussion, many terms are used for the transformation. Different terms emphasise different things: for example, green transition usually refers to the withdrawal from fossil fuels and to controlling climate change (sometimes even simply to the implementation of low-emission technology), whereas sustainability transformation and sustainable transition refer to a wider societal change. The perspective of social sustainability is often associated particularly with ‘sustainable transition”.

As we have learned in the “Systems and planetary well-being” course, societal systems are complicated systems. System-level sustainability is above all a question of societies having to find ways to change the structure and composition of the system, so the functioning of the system – e.g., the "big picture” of the transport of people, and the production and consumption of food and objects – changes. Changes in the functioning of the system would also cause changes in the output of the system, including human activity. Performing the necessary changes is essentially a question of identifying the leverage points introduced in the “Introduction to planetary well-being” course. When the leverage points are affected, a single change in them will cause wider changes in the entire system. We will examine sustainability transformation in more detail in the next course, “Pathways to planetary well-being) (PW MOOC 4). Here, we will focus on the connections between good life and the sustainability transformation.

The UN's report on sustainable development (GSDR 2019) says that changes are needed in six (partially overlapping) areas, all of which also advance good life. They are: 

• The wellbeing and capabilities of citizen
• A sustainable and just economy
• Sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition patterns
• Universal access to sustainable energy
• The sustainability of urban and peri-urban areas
• Securing global environmental commons

The list does not depict the goals of the transformation or specific ways for it but suggests that the attempt should be to direct changes to these particular systems of society and economy. These six system-level tasks or “entry points” depict the basic preconditions of good life as well as the biggest transformational trends that we must pay attention to (urbanisation and changes in natural systems). The entry points are universal, which means that attention must be paid to them in every corner of the world. Specific challenges, however, vary regionally. For example, in Finland, the greatest challenge regarding sustainable energy is the reduction of energy consumption and its carbon emissions while in low-income countries, a significant section of the population still do not have access to electricity.

The easiest way to picture the extent of the necessary changes and the effect they have on good life is to review the greatest sources of consumption-based environmental and material effects.

Figure. The division of consumption-related greenhouse gas emissions and raw material usage in different sectors of consumption in the countries of the European union in 2007.

For greenhouse gas emissions, the consumption is divided in the following manner: Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels 31.4%; Transport 25,7%; Food and non-alcoholic beverages 16,4%; Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance 11,0%; Restaurants and hotels 5,0%; Recreation and culture 4,3%; Miscellaneous goods and services, tobacco and narcotics 2,5%; Health, communication, education 2,3%; Clothing and footwear 1,4%.  

For the use of raw materials, the consumption is divided in the following manner: Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels 21.6%; Transport 14,3%; Food and non-alcoholic beverages 33,9%; Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance 15,9%; Restaurants and hotels 7,5%; Recreation and culture 3,1%; Miscellaneous goods and services, tobacco and narcotics 1,6%; Health, communication, education 1,0%; Clothing and footwear 0,9%.

(Numbers: The European Environment State and Outlook 2010 assessment.)

Many of the challenges are interconnected: the lack of (clean) electricity and the instability of its supply make it difficult, for example, to preserve food and cook safely. In many poor communities, the small particle emissions of the cheapest open wood-fired ovens or the constant cooking over open fire decrease the life expectancy of the people responsible for cooking, usually women, and also increase premature deaths and sickness in children. These disadvantages, as well as other inconveniences related to the use of wood-fired open ovens, in turn decrease the possibilities of women to participate more actively in the functions of society and active life outside the home. On the other hand, such connections also mean that through the right channels of change, many goals can be improved simultaneously. For example, improving the availability of clean electricity in poor communities can simultaneously help to control climate change, preserve forests, improve the health of especially the most vulnerable groups, and increase the well-being of women as well as the equal opportunities for them to participate in societal life. 

In the graph below, you can see an example of a situation in which influencing one channel of change creates extensive changes. Roughly half of the climate effects of the food system, and over three quarters of those of land use, are related to the production of animals, and therefore reducing the consumption of meat in countries with a high or average level of income is necessary for advancing the sustainability transformation. The transition towards a more vegetable-based diet, when implemented correctly, will also bring forth many positive effects on the sustainability transformation's other channels of influence. 

Figure. Increasing the emphasis of plant-based foods in diets is an example of an action that improves the sustainability of food consumption and has positive effects on improving sustainability and even the other sectors of good life. 

A plant-based diet also improves eating habits and the sustainability of food systems. In addition to the direct benefits related to the food system, dietary changes can have positive effects on well-being through their effects on health, the sustainability of the economy through diversifying agricultural production, and the status of global natural systems through the reduction of climate and land use problems. © Teea Kortetmäki