We often look at the pattern language of organizations: how it looks and presents themselves, their values, strategies, mission statements, and their expressions about what it is supposed to do. These are all outcomes and consequences of organizational behavior. But what are the essentials of the organization that generate all…

The theme and science of sustainability are taking punches in the face, as leaders need to figure the strategic business options amidst growing uncertainty about international economic conditions, climate change risk, biodiversity impacts, and their longer-term “Net Zero” greenhouse gas emission commitments. Some countries, companies, and social movements propose more…

The afternoon of the 12th of June left me as inspired as visualizing about what I can do, as a professional working in the field of sustainable development, to bring about multi-level sustainable change in society. As the 4 o’clock train left the Belgian city of Leuven and headed for…

Sustainability policies are instruments available that businesses and other organizations can apply to steer actions, outcomes, and impacts towards sustainable development. In this article, we discuss the structure and contents of sustainability and the type of decisions and actions they enable. …

The Guardian recently reported on the complex and therefore slow progress of negotiations of states parties to the UN Biodiversity Conference. At stake is setting new goals for nature over the next decade through the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 framework process. This process of back and forth negotiating and…

This article discusses the anatomy of organizational policies. Understanding a policy’s internal and external structure helps policy writers and users of corporate policies to design policies that are more effective in achieving their objectives, i.e. are more likely to generate action and lead to desired outcomes. …

Recently, I wrote about the transdisciplinary approach to systems science to overcome fragmented and narrow approaches to sustainable development. I received quite a few requests to hear more about it. So here we go. Transdisciplinarity is a research strategy that offers wide perspectives on solving wicked problems. It may be…

“Sustainability” and “ Sustainable Development” are sometimes alleged to lack clarity and consistency as concepts of science and business practice. More than to problems with these key concepts and their foundations, the criticism points to disconnected thinking of those who disagree. …

This is a reflection on the impacts of the ongoing European-American crisis on global sustainable development. These will be significant, far-reaching, and severe. Amidst the human tragedy inflicted upon the Ukrainian people that culminated from the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by Western…