After decades of incremental progress, it is now clear that achieving a sustainable relationship between people and planet will require a transformative response. Transformations towards sustainability involve profound, systemic changes that reach across social, cultural, political, economic and technological domains.
Navigating and facilitating transformations towards sustainability requires a systemic approach and a deep understanding of how change happens. Working with transformation often means developing our personal capacity to work with complexity, uncertainty and plurality.
At ISF, we focus on five key dimensions of sustainability transformations:
- Transformative learning experiences, to build individual and group capacity to work towards sustainability transformations
- Monitoring and evaluation of sustainability projects and programs including international development projects
- Supporting the emergence of new economic and finance systems to deliver human wellbeing
- Developing and researching participatory governance, deliberative democracy and community engagement approaches that involve people in the transformative decisions that affect them
- Futures thinking and strategic planning.
The goal of our work on sustainability transformations is to find ways for humanity to live within planetary boundaries while delivering social justice for all.
Our approach to sustainability transformations
Working on sustainability transformations means having the big picture in mind. Our projects in this space vary in scale, but they are designed to contribute towards change at sectoral scales.
Each project is unique, but we typically draw on some of the following approaches:
- Situation analysis to identify what is known about a sector or challenge and what needs to transform
- Stakeholder and community engagement and social research to understand the perspectives of those affected by a potential transformation
- Futures thinking to explore possible, probably and preferable futures
- Applying social theories, such as transition theory, social practice theory and narrative theory, to diagnose the current situation and generate options for change
- Capacity building to support those who will need to deliver transformative change
- Action research to learn by doing.
What does this mean for you?
For our clients, this means working closely with you to understand the transformations that you are seeking or experiencing, and how those connect to the bigger picture. When you partner with us, we’ll work with you to achieve your desired project outcomes, but we will also push you to ensure your project achieves its full potential for positive transformation.
Leaders in theory and practice
ISF is recognised as a leader in the theory and practice of sustainability transformations. ISF’s Professor of Sustainability Transformations, Chris Riedy, is an Advisor to the international Transformations Community and leads a working group on transforming narratives as part of the SDG Transformations Forum. He also works with the New Economy Network Australia on transforming economic systems.
Research news and projects
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PROJECT | 2019
Sustainable Sydney 2050 megatrends and scenarios
To help the City of Sydney incorporate realistic pathways to sustainability in their vision for 2050, ISF researchers modelled four possible futures.
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Leading Deliberative Democracy short courseA new educational offering helps decision-makers learn how to be a driving force for positive democratic change.
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Distributed energy resources customer insightsGathering crucial information about consumers' perceptions, habits and needs will inform the way forward for distributed energy resources.
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Co-housing for seniorsAs Australia's housing market continues to rise, co-housing offers older people a solution to insecurity while allowing them a mixture of independence and communal living.
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PROJECT | 2016
Evaluating market transformation in the energy efficiency sector
ISF was engaged to assist the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to evaluate the NSW Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the related Energy Savings Scheme . In addition to evaluating the NSW Energy Efficiency Action Plan, a baseline and evidence base for future energy efficiency programs – and more widely other areas of policy where market transformation is a goal – was developed.
The first phase of the research mapped the energy efficiency sector in NSW against the Multi- Level Perspective framework, identifying key landscape developments, key components of the regime and key niches for the various markets that make up the sector. Phase two developed a report on visions and pathways to a transformed energy efficiency market and a transformation tool based on transition management.
Client: NSW Office of Environment & Heritage
Researchers: Chris Riedy, Alison Atherton, Jenni Downes, Joe Wyndham
PROJECT | 2015
City of Sydney staff capacity building
Through Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) programs, ISF furnished council staff with the techniques and tools to understand the effectiveness of their work.
PROJECT | 2014-2015
Social practice evaluation of the Smarter Choice Program
Social practice theory informed ISF's investigation into a NSW Government program to encourage consumers to purchase energy-efficient appliances.
PROJECT | 2019
Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy
Through delivery of a series of internal workshops, ISF is helping Amex ANZ to develop its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy with a focus on goals, strategies, initiatives and targets to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The outcomes of this project will guide Amex’s initial CSR activities.
Client: Amex Australia
Researchers: Alison Atherton, Stuart White, Joanne Chong, Jack Herring, Wendy Wang
PROJECT | 2018-2019
Social Access Solar Gardens
Study shows solar gardens can offer every home access to affordable solar power
PROJECT | 2018-2019
Improving gender diversity in companies
ISF partnered with researchers Alice Klettner and Thomas Clarke from the UTS Business School to analyse initiatives aimed to improve gender diversity in companies. The research looked at innovative policies relating to recruitment and retainment of talent across genders, providing case studies of initiatives and tools put in place by governments and companies that demonstrate real outcomes in improving gender diversity.
Client: Stewart Investors
Researchers: Alison Atherton, Keren Winterford, Simone Soeters, Joanne Chong
PROJECT | 2018-2019
Multinational corporations and subsidiaries
ISF partnered with researchers Alice Klettner and Thomas Clarke from the UTS Business School to explore the relationship between 10 multinational corporations (MNCs) that have partly-owned subsidiaries, and the minority shareholders of the subsidiary companies. The report provided examples and analysis of how MNCs have taken into account the needs of minority shareholders.
Researcher: Alison Atherton
PROJECT | 2018
Addressing plastic pollution in India
Plastic pollution world-wide is growing and creating significant ecological, social and economic impacts.
PROJECT | 2015
Equity in Water Safety Planning
Working in collaboration with The World Health Organisation (WHO), this project assessed and strengthened practice, outcomes and monitoring of Water Safety Plan (WSP) in relation to gender and equity.
This research included four case studies at two urban and two rural WSP sites in the Philippines, Bangladesh and Nepal. A research report synthesizes findings from the four sites, and introduces opportunities for better integration of equity into water safety planning. The Guide supports comprehensive integration of equity considerations into WSPs and was launched by WHO, DFAT and ISF on World Water Day 2019.
Location: Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal
Client: World Health Organization
Researchers: Keren Winterford, Katie Ross, Juliet Willetts
RESEARCH OUTPUTS
A guide to equitable water safety planning (2019) (Report)
Water Safety Planning Equity Study: Synthesis Report of Four Case Studies in Asia (2014) (Report)
PROJECT | 2014-2016
GreenPower Program Review
ISF checked the effectiveness and relevance of a long-running government program to increase consumer awareness of and confidence in renewable energy products.
PROJECT | 2010-2018
Societal perceptions on remediation technologies: guidance for engagement with residents
The purpose of this guide is to assist remediation service providers, auditors, local governments, health professionals, environmental regulators and other responsible parties to develop and implement plans for remediation using an evidence-based understanding of residents’ perceptions and acceptance of remediation technologies.
PROJECT | 2009
The climate is changing – so how do we feel about that?
The first global application of “deliberative democracy” prior to the UN’s Climate Conference in 2009 provided ISF with the opportunity to canvass the opinions of Australian citizens about climate change. While the process did not appear to influence the outcomes of the conference, it provided valuable learnings about how it could be applied in the future.
PROJECT | 2008-2016
Sustainability strategies
As part of the University’s Environmental Sustainability Initiative, ISF developed UTS’ inaugural sustainability strategies in the areas of transport, climate change and paper reduction.
PROJECT | 2008
CSIRO Mineral Futures Cluster
ISF led the development of a collective vision for Australia’s mineral future to 2040, informed by multi-stakeholder processes to identify strategies for improved resource governance. Vision 2040 delivered a contemporary understanding of the changing profile of risks and opportunities present in diverse mineral futures scenarios.The scenarios were developed through collaborative workshops with industry stakeholders using applied foresight methods, including visioning, causal layered analysis and art interpretation.
The scenarios developed by ISF provided a foundation for the research of the Mineral Futures cluster, a three year collaboration between CSIRO’s Minerals Down Under flagship, ISF and four other university research teams.
Client: CSIRO
Researchers: Damien Giurco, Chris Riedy
RESEARCH OUTPUTS
Vision 2040: Mining, minerals and innovation – A vision for Australia’s mineral future (2011) (Report)
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Let's collaborate
Whether you have a problem that needs support or an idea for change, our innovative and solutions-focused approach can help you achieve your goals.
Contact Chris Riedy on Christopher.Riedy@uts.edu.au or + 61 2 9514 4962 for more information.
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Discover the ‘big picture’ research questions for Sustainability transformations
