Wicked Problems Are Solved by Systems Thinking

 Target audience: professionals, students or those passionate about sustainable development problems

Wicked problems are widely defined as being complex and challenging to solve. The solution to these problems is not straightforward and you cannot rely on formulas or traditional methods to reach an answer.

The ever-changing stakeholders, climate, and world in general make reaching any sustainable development goals a wicked problem. In the field of sustainability, stakeholders have different values, climate change makes solutions temporary, and there is no way to properly measure the success of a solution. All of these reasons outline why sustainability issues are wicked problems. 

For years we have relied on technical innovations to drive sustainability solutions such as electric cars to reduce emissions or solar power as a "green energy" source and this may solve a small piece of the puzzle, but the overall sustainability issues can only be solved by getting to the root of the issue which lies in our values, societal structure, and differing cultures. One of the things we overlook is that each country behaves differently and has a different economy and means to implement sustainability solutions and Sustainability issues such as deforestation and climate change are global issues that need to be addressed as such. The main reason why sustainability issues are wicked problems is because of how context specific the problems are for example one event such as rising sea levels due to climate change will be a much more pressing issue for coastal cities rather than landlocked cities which begs the question, how can we change our sustainability leadership to focus more globally rather than locally. This is a very hard question to answer because it forces us to uproot years of culture and values that have been imbedded deep in our societies. This shift of traditional values must be focused on collaborating and adapting to the world's problems rather than trying to fix everything with technological innovations. 

One such leadership style that would break down the problem and make it much more much more globally focused is a systems-oriented approach to problem solving. The bottom line is that every action made by humans has an impact on the environment which has overarching impacts for other parts of the world and if we are to change our values and culture to solve complex wicked sustainability problems then we need to see the world as one interconnected system where every action has consequences that may be unforeseen. With this model of problem-solving leaders would be able to recognize the economic, environmental and societal impacts of every action and realize that sustainability is a global topic which requires everyone to work together. In terms of actual solutions to sustainability issues, that is harder to recognize and requires a lot of analysis and thought to incorporate programs and ways to put people in a better position to succeed.

 

Image: Seize The Sustainability Opportunity. (2023). Russellreynolds.com. https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/insights/campaigns/sustainability-opportunity?msclkid=597f5da3eb951c6dd5f73b5e40c6a378&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=USA%20-%20NB_Sustainable_Leadership_3_Priority_Exact&utm_term=corporate%20sustainability&utm_content=Sustainability

The image above illustrates the interconnectedness of sustainability and shows that there are many different relationships that can cause unique challenges which call for a new and unique solution. The proper way to start by applying solutions to these issues require world leaders to listen to people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and locations because every person has a different lifestyle and perspective of the impacts of climate change and other large sustainability issues, so it is important to hear what everyone has to say to properly grasp the severity of the issue before implementing a solution. When deciding what changes to make you have to keep in mind many different factors and will require an in-depth analysis of the challenges each area is facing. The main solution that would create good change for the world is sustainability education. This would allow people to be informed about how to make a change in the world and how to apply certain sustainability methods to their specific region.

In conclusion, the only way forward is to allow ourselves to let go of traditional values and listen to each other to find global solutions to the complex issues. Technology should be looked at as a tool to reach the final goal not the only solution that is brought forth. Having leaders who focus on Earth as a system is crucial and they must realize that our world will not be fixed with small-scale, short-term solutions but rather by targeting the root cause of the issue and tackling the societal issues that make sustainable development difficult to achieve globally. This will mean each separate region and nation must do very in-depth analysis of how the issues are affecting them so they can apply certain solutions that are tailored to their needs. 

References:

Vogt, M., & Weber, C. (2019). Current challenges to the concept of sustainability. Global Sustainability, 2(e4). https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2019.1

Galatzer-Levy, J. (2024). “A technical solution is not enough; we have to have sustainability” | UIC today. Uic.edu. https://today.uic.edu/a-technical-solution-is-not-enough-we-have-to-have-sustainability/

Radeljak, L. (2021, May 20). Why sustainable issues are wicked problems? Terra Institute. https://terra-institute.eu/en/why-sustainable-issues-are-wicked-problems/