Evolution of the polycrisis: Anthropocene traps that challenge global sustainability

Søgaard Jørgensen, P., R. E. V. Jansen, D. I. Avila Ortega, L. Wang-Erlandsson, J. F. Donges, H. Österblom, P. Olsson, M. Nyström, S. J. Lade, T. Hahn, C. Folke, G. D. Peterson, and A.-S. Crépin. 2023. Evolution of the polycrisis: Anthropocene traps that challenge global sustainability. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 379(1893):20220261.

The Anthropocene is characterized by accelerating change and global challenges of increasing complexity. Inspired by what some have called a polycrisis, we explore whether the human trajectory of increasing complexity and influence on the Earth system could become a form of trap for humanity. Based on an adaptation of the evolutionary traps concept to a global human context, we present results from a participatory mapping....

Response diversity as a sustainability strategy

Walker, B., A.S. Crepin, M. Nyström, J.M. Anderies, E. Andersson, T. Elmqvist, C. Queiroz, S. Barrett, E. Bennett, J.C. Cardenas, S.R. Carpenter, F.S. Chapin III, A. de Zeeuw, J. Fischer, C. Folke, S. Levin, K. Nyborg, S. Polasky, K. Segerson, K. Seto, M. Scheffer, J.F. Shogren, A. Tavoni, J. van den Bergh, E.U. Weber, and J.R. Vincent. 2023. Response diversity as a sustainability strategy. Nature Sustainability 6:621-629.

Financial advisers recommend a diverse portfolio to respond to market fluctuations across sectors. Similarly, nature has evolved a diverse portfolio of species to maintain ecosystem function amid environmental fluctuations. In urban planning, public health, transport and communications, food production, and other domains, however, this feature often seems ignored. As we enter an era of unprecedented turbulence at the planetary level, we argue that ample responses...

Sanctioned quotas versus information provisioning for community wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe: A framed field experiment approach

Ntuli, H., A.S. Crépin, C. Schill, and E. Muchapondwa. 2023. Sanctioned quotas versus information provisioning for community wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe: A framed field experiment approach. Environmental and Resource Economics 84(3):775-823.

We investigate the behavioural responses of natural common-pool resource users to three policy interventions—sanctioned quotas, information provisioning, and a combination of both. We focus on situations in which users find utility in multiple resources (pastures and wild animal stocks) that all stem from the same ecosystem with complex dynamics, and management could trigger a regime shift, drastically altering resource regrowth. We performed a framed field...

Special issue in honour of Karl-Göran Mäler

Sterner, T., E.B. Barbier, and A.S. Crépin. 2023. Special issue in honour of Karl-Göran Mäler. Environmental and Resource Economics 84(3):649-876.

Spreading environmental economics worldwide

Sterner, T., E.B. Barbier, and A.S. Crépin. 2023. Spreading environmental economics worldwide. Environmental and Resource Economics 84(3):649-657.

Time-consistent renewable resource management with present bias and regime shifts

Arvaniti, M., C.K.B. Krishnamurthy, and A.S. Crépin. 2023. Time-consistent renewable resource management with present bias and regime shifts. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 207:479-495.

We investigate the extraction plan of present-biased decision makers managing a renewable resource stock whose growth is uncertain and which could undergo a rapid and significant change when stock falls below a threshold. We show that the Markov-Nash equilibrium extraction policy is unique, time consistent, and increasing in resource stock. An increase in the threshold leads to increased resource extraction, rather than the precautionary reduction...

The co-evolving nature of inequality

Collste, D., P. Henriksson, S. Akbik, A.-S. Crépin, C. Folke, L. Lerpold, E. Lindkvist, P. Malmer, G. Ordenes, J. Rocha, C. Schill, and M. Schultz. 2022. The co-evolving nature of inequality. In: Galaz, V. and D. Collste (eds.). Economy and Finance for a Just Future on a Thriving Planet. Report for Stockholm+50. Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences) and the Stockholm Resilience Centre (Stockholm University), Chapter 3..

As the world strives to accelerate action towards sustainability, inequality prevents socially sustainable solutions. Inequality is persistent, and it is associated with multiple social and health problems. Inequality is also related to risks in the new planetary reality of a changing climate and biodiversity loss.

The Power of giants

Galaz, V., Crépin, A.-S., Fichtner, J., Hallerby, R., Jonsson, M., Kedward, K., Nessen, M., Ryan-Col­lins, J., Ölcer, D., Österblom, H. 2022. The Power of giants. In: Galaz V. and Collste, D. (eds). Econ­omy and Finance for a Just Future on a Thriving Planet. Report for Stockholm+50. Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics (Royal Swedish Acad­emy of Sciences) and Stockholm Resilience Centre (Stockholm University). Chapter 5.

Not all economic and financial actors are equally influential. Our globalised economies contain a considerable concentration of influence and power, possibly putting Earth’s future in the hands of but a few.

Foundations for behavioral change

Lindahl, T., C. Schill, D. Collste, A.-S. Crépin, C. Folke, and V. Galaz. 2022. Foundations for behavioral change. In: Galaz, V. and D. Collste (eds.) Economy and Finance for a Just Future on a Thriving Planet. Report for Stockholm+50. Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences) and the Stock­holm Resilience Centre (Stockholm University), Chapter 6.

Transforming societies towards sustainability requires that individuals, groups and the private and societal sectors alike, change their behaviours. Since behaviour is, to a large extent, guided by social norms, a change of norms has the potential to ignite the necessary large-scale behavioural shifts.

From systemic risks to system opportunities

Galaz, V., D. Collste, A.-S. Crépin, B. Crona, G. Daily, C. Folke, T. Lindahl, P. Olsson, M. Ruck­elshaus, C. Schill, L. Hård af Segerstad, and T. McPhearson. 2022. From systemic risks to system opportunities. In: Galaz, V. and D. Collste (eds.) Economy and Finance for a Just Future on a Thriving Planet. Report for Stockholm+50. Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences) and Stockholm Resilience Centre (Stockholm University), Chapter 7.

The changing planetary reality and our inability to properly grasp its consequences for people and planet pose immense challenges and risks. Yet, a shift towards a prosperous future for all on a thriving planet is possible. Domino-effects that support opportunities for both people and the planet can be triggered in many ways: changing social norms, supporting economic policies and institutions, the “power of giants”, initiatives...