Transition as a Complex System

Recognising and embracing the complexity of what we are facing is the start, with climate transitions affecting ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’. Most of those working in sustainability are heavily silo-ed from each other, as are the standards and laws on reporting, disclosure, and human rights due diligence. Just Transition, bringing social complexity into climate action, is not a delay or detour from reaching Net Zero by 2050; rather it is an essential part of getting there. This chapter introduces the basics of a systems-thinking approach and key concepts such as stocks, buffers, delays, reinforcement loops, pinch points, building leverage, and overcoming ‘bounded rationality’.