Major changes in outlook and societal structures are needed to address the global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, a recent United Nations report says. Its 2025 “Interconnected Disaster Risks” report identifies five “deep changes” that need to happen.
These are premised on the “Theory of Deep Change” (ToDC), a problem-solving approach that digs deeper to reveal the problem’s underlying root causes, the structures facilitating it, and the assumptions giving rise to and sustaining such systems. The authors liken human society to a tree: the fruits are only as good as the tree’s branches, trunk and roots.
One example the authors cite is of solar geoengineering, or ways to physically reduce sunlight from reaching Earth in order to slow global warming. “Solar geoengineering is an example of a unilateral decision being made in one part of the world that would have far-reaching consequences for others. Worse still, solar geoengineering is a superficial fix to a known problem, climate change, to avoid committing to the real solution: phasing out fossil fuels,” the authors write.
The report suggests five broad changes for a sustainable world:
1. Rethinking waste and shifting to a circular economy that prioritizes durability, repair and reuse. The authors cite the example of the town of Kamikatsu in Japan, where the recycling rate is 80% compared to the national rate of 20%. “Community members separate waste into 45 categories, some for composting, recycling, reuse or repair,” the report says. The town also hosts zero-waste services such as a free clothing exchange system.
2. Realigning with nature, where humans learn to coexist with nature instead of controlling natural processes.
3. Reconsidering responsibility by transitioning from individualism to collective global accountability. The report cites the example of carbon offsetting that shifts negative effects to other countries.
4. Reimagining the future and not shifting the responsibility of dealing with impacts, such as the risk of nuclear waste, to future generations.
5. Redefining value by considering alternative metrics for valuing global prosperity instead of wealth or GDP, such as Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index that prioritizes well-being and ecology over economic growth.
“Our report shows that many of the actions we take, as well-intentioned as they are, won’t work as long as there is a whole system working against us. We need to go deeper, envision the world that we want to live in, and change the structures to match that vision,” anthropologist Caitlyn Eberle, report co-author, said in a statement.
Co-author Zita Sebesvari, an ecologist, added: “We limit ourselves when we focus only on preventing the worst, rather than striving for the best. By addressing the root causes of the problems, fostering global cooperation and believing in our collective power, we can shape a world where future generations do not just survive but thrive. It’s time for fresh thinking, and ultimately, turning over a new leaf.”
Banner image of marine pollution by Christian Yakubu via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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