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Leveraging the metacoupling framework for sustainability science and global sustainable development
1Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA.
National Science Review
|June 12, 2023
Summary
The metacoupling framework integrates human-nature interactions across places, moving beyond traditional place-based sustainability. This approach reveals cross-border effects on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhances global sustainability solutions.
Area of Science:
- Sustainability Science
- Human-Nature Interactions
- Global Environmental Change
Background:
- Traditional sustainability science is often place-based, leading to problem-solving in one location at the expense of others.
- This approach compromises global sustainability and fails to capture interconnectedness of human-nature systems.
- A holistic framework is needed to integrate local and global human-nature interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and elaborate on the metacoupling framework as a novel approach for sustainability science.
- To demonstrate the utility of the metacoupling framework in understanding and addressing sustainability challenges.
- To highlight the implications of the metacoupling framework for achieving global sustainable development.
Main Methods:
- Application of the metacoupling framework to analyze human-nature interactions across various scales (local to global).
- Investigating the effects of metacoupling on the performance, synergies, and trade-offs of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Examining spatio-temporal dynamics, network attributes, and feedback mechanisms within metacoupled systems.
Main Results:
- Metacoupling analysis revealed effects on SDG performance, synergies, and trade-offs across borders and scales.
- The framework helped untangle complex interactions, identify new network attributes, and uncover hidden feedbacks.
- Applications demonstrated shifts in governance from place-based to flow-based, and improved management of resources and supply chains.
Conclusions:
- The metacoupling framework provides a robust foundation for advancing sustainability science and achieving global sustainable development.
- Its application facilitates achieving SDGs, amplifying ecosystem restoration benefits, and improving transboundary management.
- Future research should focus on cascading effects, flow tracing, causal attribution, and resource allocation to fully operationalize the framework.
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