sustainable development has been discussed in different forms and concepts for at least 50 years. in 1972, the Club of Rome report “Limits to Growth” was published, depicting the conflict between growing needs and demands from the population on a planet with limited resources.
in 1987, the “Our Common Future”, “Brundtland-comission” was released with the definition: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”.
So why haven’t we managed? The easy answer:
- Conflicting interests between common good and individual greed.
- Complex, interconnected issues who does not always support each other positively.
- Competition between countries, companies, cities and individuals over collaboration.
- Scarce resources, but people always wants more.
- Game of power between developed vs underdeveloped countries, corporations and individuals.
- People are afraid that benefiting others will not benefit them. – leadership and knowledge.
- “understanding the picture that results from many artists working together on on their own art but on the same canvas ”
World is a systems, including feedbacks , interconnected, if unchecked will be reinforced and damage the system.
Need to understand POWER – visible/hidden/invisible, within/over/to
Systems become more resilient when they are diverse.
Why is something not happening – because of this. Why is that happening? – because of this. then why is that happening? Go to the core, ask the right questions focus your energy where it matters.
System is not about control, it’s about dancing with the system – Donella Meadows
for systems; radical solutions are not solutions. human body, not easy. complex because of interconnectedness.
turning vicious into virtuous cycles (UN SDG Report 2020)
bjornfonden, 2026 
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