The Dark Side of Transformation: Latent Risks in Contemporary Sustainability Discourse

Abstract

The notion of transformation is gaining traction in contemporary sustainability debates. New ways of theorising and supporting transformations are emerging and, so the argument goes, opening exciting spaces to (re)imagine and (re)structure radically different futures. Yet, questions remain about how the term is being translated from an academic concept into an assemblage of normative policies and practices, and how this process might shape social, political, and environmental change. Motivated by these questions, we identify five latent risks associated with discourse that frames transformation as apolitical and/or inevitable. We refer to these risks as the dark side of transformation. While we cannot predict the future of radical transformations towards sustainability, we suggest that scientists, policymakers, and practitioners need to consider such change in more inherently plural and political ways.

Just Transformations to Sustainability

“…Still, we are not naïve to the significant challenges that a social justice framing poses to those engaging with the daunting task of shifting society radically towards a more sustainable trajectory. Sustainability transformations are political, rife with power imbalances, a site of conflict and a source of social struggle [10,28]. International and national actions taken to promote environmental sustainability have been implicated in human rights abuses and other negative social consequences for indigenous groups and local communities [17,21,70,154,155].…”

“…For example, the word 'justice' is only used once in Karen O'Brien's [30] seminal paper on deliberate transformations and there is no mention of 'justice' on Future Earth's description of their transformation program [6]. Yet, we know that societal transformations at any scale are shaped by, and will shape, the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges afforded to different social groups [10]. While notions of justice have recently started to permeate writing on transformations to sustainability [27][28][29], more attention is needed to both understanding and realizing social justice during sustainability transformations.…”

“…When deliberate transformations to environmental sustainability are enacted, there will inevitably be social consequences both positive and negative relative to the status quo. Though there is the potential for improvements in human well-being, there is also a real danger that deliberate sustainability transformations will occur in an exclusionary manner or produce inequitable outcomes across time and space [10]. For example, fisheries management actions, such as the creation of no-take marine protected areas or reductions in fishing effort, can require short-term losses to produce long-term net economic gains [11].…”

Governance principles for community‐centered conservation in the post‐2020 global biodiversity framework

“…Such transformative efforts also and inevitably "bump up" against some of the more embedded and structural forces of economic development that create strong resistance to change, and the risks associated with a discourse that frames these transformative shifts as apolitical and/or inevitable (Blythe et al, 2018). These transformations will not be easy-community-centered conservation reflects a complex social and biophysical context, nested feedbacks linking communities, and external partners in dynamic and evolving alliances.…”

“…Crucially, community-centered conservation means that Indigenous and local communities are leading multilevel governance initiatives, with partners working for and not just with those communities. Such transformative efforts also and inevitably "bump up" against some of the more embedded and structural forces of economic development that create strong resistance to change, and the risks associated with a discourse that frames these transformative shifts as apolitical and/or inevitable (Blythe et al, 2018).…”