Beyond Individual Action: The Need for Systemic Support in Sustainability

When it comes to sustainability, we tend to focus on individual actions without looking at the bigger picture.

We all know the importance of recycling, reducing energy use and choosing eco-friendly products.

But, as noted in a previous blog, these actions can feel frustratingly small and inadequate in the face of global challenges.

And it’s this sense of limitation which points to one of the most significant barriers to engagement with sustainability.

We have a significant lack of robust systemic support.

So, let’s look at what’s causing it, and how we can work against it.

Why Do We Need Systemic Support?

By systemic support, I’m referring to the broader structures, policies, and systems that can enable and encourage sustainable practices on a large scale.

This type of support can come from:

• government regulations
• corporate policies
• urban planning
• educational curricula
• economic incentives

One of the pillars of behavioural science is the understanding that our behaviour is heavily influenced by our environment, both physical and social.

So, without adequate systemic support, individual efforts will not only require immeasurably more effort and personal energy, but they’ll also feel like drops in the ocean when they do take place.

A person might diligently sort their recycling, only to learn that much of it ends up in landfills due to inadequate recycling infrastructure.

Or someone might want to cycle to work but live in a city with no safe bike lanes.

This mismatch between individual willingness and systemic enablement can lead to frustration and disengagement.

It's easy to feel that personal actions are futile if they're not supported and amplified by larger systemic changes.

I still find it nonsensical that councils across the UK haven’t replaced all public bins with an alternative that provides a recycling option.

Making this change would enable us to increase recycling behaviours out of the house. And position recycling as a normative and expected behaviour. In turn, people would be more likely to continue those behaviours at home.

In short, we’d see positive ripple effects of such a simple infrastructural tweak.

The reality is many of the most impactful sustainability measures require action at a level beyond individual control.

Transitioning to renewable energy, implementing circular economy principles, or protecting biodiversity often require policy changes, technological innovations, and coordinated efforts across sectors and borders.

Sustainability: Uneven Playing Fields

As alluded to in my last blog, a system that doesn't adequately account for environmental and social costs makes unsustainable practices seem more economically viable.

And this creates perverse incentives.

So, how do we address and change the wider system in which we exist?

1. Place the individual within the context of a system.

With whom and in what context does the individual interact and make decisions?

Let’s not see individual actions and systemic changes as an either/or proposition, but rather a both/and necessity.

2. See ourselves as part of a wider system.

If we understand how our actions fit into larger systems, we can help people engage more effectively with sustainability issues.

This includes not just environmental education, but also civic education – empowering people to advocate for systemic changes.

3. All levels of government must play a crucial role.

They need to sit at the convergence between understanding behaviour, having a long-term strategy to establish a more sustainable future, and using the levers at their disposal to shape the systemic structures in which their populations exist.

4. Businesses equally have a key role to play.

To all intents and purposes, they determine the product offering from which their consumer base will choose.

And by integrating sustainability into core business models and advocating for supportive policies, companies can drive systemic changes that enable and encourage sustainable choices.

5. Collaboration is an essential part of the solution landscape.

Sustainability challenges don't respect sector or national boundaries, so solutions require cooperation across diverse stakeholders.

Plus, if competitors within an industry could converge research and development into more sustainable practices, investment is less likely to be seen as a risk to market share.

Paul Polman, formerly of Unilever, has done a good job at trying to bring competitors together to shape industry relevant solutions in sustainability.

Final thoughts

Ultimately, overcoming the barrier of inadequate systemic support requires a shift in how we approach sustainability.

We must shift from viewing it as a matter of personal responsibility to recognising it as a collective challenge.

And this requires coordinated action at all levels of society.

If you’d allow me to paint a dream scenario, or perhaps it’s merely an ambitious hope, it would be this:

We adopt a systemic and behavioural lens to create an environment where sustainable choices are not just possible, but the default.

In this context, individual actions can truly add up to transformative change, empowering more people to engage meaningfully with sustainability efforts.