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Multiple global crises – including the pandemic, climate change, and Russia's war on Ukraine – have recently linked together in ways that are significant in scope, devastating in effect, but poorly understood. A growing number of scholars and policymakers characterize the situation as a ‘polycrisis’. Yet this neologism remains poorly defined. We pr...
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... The climate crisis has magnified the poor's vulnerability; the debt crisis has stalled pro-poor investments; citizens trust their institutions and leaders less, all against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions. In short, it's a polycrisis, "a global crisis [that] arises when one or more fast-moving trigger events combines with slow-moving stresses to push a global system out of its established equilibrium and into a volatile and harmful state of disequilibrium" (Lawrence et al. 2024) (Figure 1). ...
How can systemic changes in the international financial architecture accelerate the world's transition to clean energy and address the urgent challenges of the polycrisis? Building on extensive conversations within the Beyond Bretton Woods network, we present a series of causal relationships to diagnose the impairment if not hijacking of modern capitalism. Based on recent discourse about planetary boundaries and on sound applications of economics, we then detail six high-impact recommendations whose time has come: placing ecocentrism at the center of international finance reform; implementing an instantaneous global carbon price; establishing a new debt restructuring mechanism; incorporating the polycrisis into monetary policy; designing a novel nature-based currency; and creating new global governance entities. We conclude with a brief discussion of the means by which civil society can be rallied in support of these systemic changes.
... These losses are characteristic of the current sustainability crisis and exemplify a complex interconnectedness of ecological, social and economic driving forces co-producing challenges at different dimensions and scales (Fanning et al. 2021). Current challenges include biodiversity loss and climate change, as well as food, health and increasing socio-economic inequality, compromising livelihoods and wellbeing of both current and future generations (Lawrence et al. 2024). Fundamental transformations are urgently needed at different levels to address the underlying global structural forces of change underpinning the sustainability crisis (Feola 2015;Scoones et al. 2020;Patterson et al. 2024). ...
Landscapes are places where multiple social-ecological relations thrive. However, due to intensification of industrial land-uses, they are losing their diversity of species and functions, languages and practices, thereby influencing the ways in which people interact with each other and non-human beings across the globe. A better understanding of such changes in landscapes is necessary to enhance urgent transformative change to overcome the sustainability crisis that humans and non-humans are currently facing. In this article, using an in-depth, reflexive thematic qualitative approach, we characterised landscape homogenisation across five case study landscapes in Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Iran and Uruguay by a) identifying and describing the main driving forces underpinning landscape homogenisation within each landscape and b) exploring and discussing some of the main relations between different driving forces contributing to landscape homogenisation across landscapes. Four main driving forces characterising and contributing to landscape homogenisation globally emerged from the results: economic growth imperative; industrialised commodity production; rural depopulation; and abandonment of traditional practices. While all forces were observed across all studied landscapes, they took different shapes and ways in each context. We provide an operational conceptualisation of landscape homogenisation, highlight that the loss of landscape heterogeneity is driven by a complex fabric of co-occurring driving forces, and discuss potential constraints for transformative change. Our approach and lessons learned can provide insights to inform action-oriented research in other rural landscapes globally to addressing the interwoven nature of the issues challenging landscapes’ sustainability.
... versão: 2025.04.12 10 Se é verdade, assim, que textos de filosofia política do passado são, de modo geral, responsivos às crises de grande impacto social negativo, que marcaram o contexto histórico e político no qual foram produzidos, surge então agora a seguinte questão: Qual seria a crise face à qual textos de filosofia política do presente, com potencial para se tornar clássicos da filosofia política no futuro, deveriam se posicionar responsivamente? A minha hipótese é que não existe contemporaneamente uma crise em particular, mas, antes, sistemas de crises de grande impacto social negativo de alcance global e intergeracional (Lawrence et al. 2024). Se isso é assim, então a tarefa da filosofia política nos dias de hoje consiste em se mostrar responsiva, não a crises particulares, mas a sistemas de crise. ...
... O que temos hoje não são crises isoladas -crises que, para infortúnio das populações afetadas, podem eventualmente ocorrer todas ao mesmo tempo em uma dada região. O que temos são, antes, crises que formam "sistemas de crises" de alcance global (Lawrence et al. 2024). ...
... Em um mundo interconectado como o nosso, a crise que emerge em uma dada região pode rapidamente deflagrar ou agravar crises já em curso em outras regiões, reverberando de volta, com impacto talvez ainda maior, sobre a região na qual se originou. Alguns autores se referem a essa interação sistemática de crises diversas como metacrise (Leggewie and Welzer 2009, chap. 1) ou, mais frequentemente, policrise (Lawrence et al. 2024;Helleiner 2024;World Economic Forum 2023;Tooze 2023;Homer-Dixon 2023;Morin and Kern 1999, 73-74). Uma crise se alimenta da outra e cada uma retroalimenta o sistema de crises como um todo. ...
Este update de "Ética e Filosofia Política no Século XXI: Mudanças Climáticas, Pandemias, e Crises Globais" inclui uma discussão sobre a ideia do contrato social tal como ela aparece no Livro 2 da "República" de Platão. Teorias do contrato social, de modo geral, tratam do conceito de estado, mas sem referência ao conceito de nação. A discussão do argumento de Platão, assim, é seguida de um capítulo sobre o conceito de nação como objeto de proteção do estado.
... Faced with constant uncertainty, especially in the context of the polycrisis, communities require resilience to deal with these (Beilin and Wilkinson 2015). The polycrisis describes interrelated threats such as climate change, ecological disasters, economic inequality, conflicts and polarisation (Hoyer et al. 2023;Lawrence et al. 2024). In this context, preparing for and recovering from individual disasters should not be the focus of resilience thinking but needs to be addressed on a broader level (Cretney 2014). ...
... First, in the past, a lot of research has focused on resilience to specific (natural) disasters. Increasingly, communities need to be resilient against, and able to work with, a complex set of threats and changes (Lawrence et al. 2024). Therefore, we need a general approach to assess and enhance resilience of communities. ...
... Polycrisis refers to the complex entanglement of multiple crises that interact in ways that amplify their effects, creating unpredictable and systemic disruptions. Unlike isolated crises, a polycrisis emerges when different global systems-such as economic, environmental, political, and social structures-experience simultaneous stresses that reinforce one another, leading to cascading failures (Lawrence et al., 2024). This concept highlights how crises are no longer independent events but rather interwoven through common stressors, domino effects, and feedback loops that escalate their impact beyond what would occur if they were separate incidents. ...
This study examines whether “Popular Reporting” enables universities to fulfil sustainability reporting guidelines while facilitating effective stakeholder engagement. Using the University of Turin as a case study, the research explores how this reporting
approach addresses the dimensions of polycrisis by aligning institutional actions with stakeholder needs. The methodology involves the analysis of institutional documents, semi-structured interviews with governance representatives, sentiment analysis to
identify key issues and an evaluation of the dialogic capacity of reporting to meet governance and stakeholder informational demands. The findings highlight that Popular Reporting provides a concise yet comprehensive representation of institutional
activities and their broader context, ensuring the inclusion of stakeholder-relevant topics. By adhering to the "University Sustainability Report" guidelines and RUS-GBS standards, this dynamic reporting approach bridges the gap between traditional
social reporting and the complex requirements of sustainability communication. The study underscores the practical value of Popular Reporting as a dialogic tool that strengthens governance processes while fostering meaningful stakeholder relationships. Its implications extend beyond the University of Turin, suggesting
broader applicability in academic institutions seeking to enhance accountability and address stakeholder sentiment. Future research could expand these insights to different contexts, further validating Popular Reporting as an effective mechanism for institutional sustainability and stakeholder engagement.
Questo studio esamina se il “Popular Reporting” consente alle università di soddisfare le linee guida per la rendicontazione di sostenibilità, facilitando al contempo un efficace coinvolgimento degli stakeholder. Utilizzando l'Università di Torino come caso di studio, la ricerca esplora come questo approccio di rendicontazione affronti le dimensioni della “polycrisis” allineando le azioni istituzionali con le esigenze degli stakeholder. La metodologia prevede l'analisi di documenti istituzionali, interviste semistrutturate con i rappresentanti della governance, analisi del sentiment per identificare i temi chiave e una valutazione della capacità dialogica della rendicontazione per soddisfare le richieste informative di governance e degli stakeholder. I risultati evidenziano che il Popular Reporting fornisce una rappresentazione concisa ma completa delle attività istituzionali e del loro contesto più ampio, garantendo l'inclusione di argomenti rilevanti per gli stakeholder. Aderendo alle linee guida del "Bilancio di Sostenibilità di Ateneo" e agli standard RUS-GBS,
questo approccio di rendicontazione dinamica colma il divario tra la rendicontazione sociale tradizionale e le complesse esigenze della comunicazione della sostenibilità. Lo studio sottolinea il valore pratico del Popular Reporting come strumento dialogico che rafforza i processi di governance promuovendo al contempo relazioni significative con gli stakeholder. Le sue implicazioni si estendono oltre l'Università di Torino, suggerendo una più ampia applicabilità nelle istituzioni accademiche che cercano di migliorare la responsabilità e affrontare il sentimento degli stakeholder. La ricerca futura potrebbe
espandere queste intuizioni a diversi contesti, convalidando ulteriormente il Popular Reporting come meccanismo efficace per la sostenibilità istituzionale e il coinvolgimento degli stakeholder.
... Human activities are significantly altering the planet's climate and ecosystems beyond a "safe space for humanity" (Díaz et al. 2019;Richardson et al. 2023). Recent evidence highlights the coupled nature of biodiversity loss and climate change (IPBES 2019;IPCC 2021) and their complex connections with other crises including financial, inequality, health, food, and energy domains (Pörtner et al. 2023;Lawrence et al. 2024;Swilling 2013). Addressing the crisis requires novel, integrated approaches, and strong collective efforts to transform towards sustainability in different dimensions of societies (IPBES 2019). ...
... These findings reflect broader public debates about the energy crisis (Goldthau and Tagliapietra 2022;Żuk and Żuk 2022). However, our study reveals important implications regarding how this focus on social media discussions may inadvertently conceal the role of environmental dimensions and their deep entanglement with various political and socio-economic challenges (Lawrence et al. 2024;Linnér and Wibeck 2019). As people increasingly access social media platforms to make inter-subjective senses of what is happening and how to act accordingly (Chater and Loewenstein 2016;Stieglitz et al. 2018), such narrow focus may reinforce the conceptualization that environmental aspects, such as climate and biodiversity issues, are separate or less urgent in comparison with other issues. ...
Public support for addressing the sustainability crisis is crucial for mainstreaming environmental issues into policymaking. Recently, escalating impacts of an energy crisis have sparked debates over European energy governance, influencing policymaking on climate and biodiversity goals. Understanding how public attention towards climate and biodiversity is mediated by social media during crises can provide insights into the processes of public opinion formation. We investigated the attention patterns, narrative shifts, and sentiment regarding climate and biodiversity concerning European energy governance on X (formerly Twitter), between 2021 and 2023. We employed the issue–attention cycle framework and combined quantitative methods with qualitative thematic analysis. We found limited attention on climate and biodiversity in European energy governance, suggesting low engagement with the interconnected dimensions of the crisis. Climate and biodiversity issues were mainly linked to energy governance in relation to the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Attention fluctuated over time following three waves of salient themes: the unfolding energy crisis, geopolitical instability, and socio-economic concerns. Geopolitical events elicited a sense of urgency for accelerating the energy transition. However, socio-economic events (high energy prices) aroused critical views towards the transition, reflecting emerging discourses against decarbonization in the EU. Limited attention to climate and biodiversity on social media may reinforce the perception that these issues are unrelated to energy governance, driving public support towards uncoordinated, even contradictory, sectorial policies. The construction of saliency around polarized framing on social media may push opinions against environmental policies on energy governance, challenging the reconciliation of environmental, economic, and social imperatives of sustainability.
... Nevertheless, the "Limits to Growth" continues to provide, consciously or unconsciously, the intellectual underpinnings of "Global Polycrisis Research", a transdisciplinary field of research concerned with the big question about the impact of humanity on planetary resources and human wellbeing (Lawrence et al., 2024). ...
... The term "polycrisis" became very popular in early 2022, when the abatement of the global COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the onset of the war of Russia on the Ukraine triggering a renewed global energy and food crisis (Tooze, 2021). In addition, the ongoing unresolved global environmental crises related to climate change and biodiversity loss increased the fear among policy makers of a "perfect storm" that may substantially degrade human prospect on planet earth (Lawrence et al., 2024). ...
The term “polycrisis” has become a buzzword to describe the entanglement and reinforcement of multiple global crises that may put the survival of humankind at risk. It builds upon Sustainability Science and its research on the complex interactions of systemic risks. The research approach has its roots in the “Limits to Growth” report published by the Club of Rome in 1972. The publication predicted a global sustainability crisis in response to growing human resource consumption. The threat is real, but there are lessons to be learned from coping with past global crises and how they were addressed by far-sighted government initiatives that incentivized decentralized innovation systems to achieve well-defined objectives. These initiatives proved to be effective because they were based on an adequate understanding of the endogenous nature of economic development and how biocapacity and societal resilience can be enhanced through higher levels of economic complexity. Contemporary European mission-oriented innovation policies (MOIPs) with their strong faith in the state as pacesetter of the economy lack this understanding. In this paper, a more pragmatic innovation policy approach is proposed to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in general, and food security in particular. It combines the target orientation of past US innovation policy missions with the commitment of international crop research networks to mobilize innovation and entrepreneurship for inclusive development. Throughout history, such opportunity-driven approaches proved to be more effective public policy responses to crisis than attempts to minimize systemic risks by limiting growth.
... Selain permasalahan di atas, dunia saat ini juga tengah berada dalam kondisi yang disebut polycrisis, di mana berbagai krisis yang saling terkait (Hoeffler et al., 2024) dan memperburuk satu sama lain sedang berlangsung secara bersamaan (Lawrence et al., 2024). Krisis kemanusiaan seperti tragedi pengungsi Rohingya, memperlihatkan kegagalan sistem internasional dalam melindungi hak asasi manusia (Setiawan & Suryanti, 2021). ...
Kegiatan pengabdian ini didasari bahwa kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia merupakan hal yang kompleks dan mahasiswa perlu mendapatkan edukasi mengenai proyeksi kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia dalam perubahan politik dunia. Kegiatan pengabdian ini dilaksanakan di Universitas Tanjungpura pada Bulan Februari 2025 secara daring melalui zoom metting conference dengan tujuan peningkatan pemahaman mahasiswa mengenai proyeksi kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia. Kegiatan pengabdian ini dilaksanakan dengan bentuk pelaksanaan kegiatan terdiri dari penyampaian materi, diskusi tanya jawab, serta dokumentasi dan pelaporan akhir kegiatan. Hasil kegiatan ini menunjukkan adanya peningkatan pemahaman mahasiswa mengenai soft power dan diplomasi publik Indonesia. Kegiatan ini juga memberikan dampak bagi pemahaman mahasiswa mengenai proyeksi kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia terhadap proteksionisme AS, respons terhadap kebijakan perdagangan Uni Eropa, posisi Indonesia dalam isu Israel-Palestina, Rusia – Ukraina, ASEAN dalam kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia, dan isu terkait Indonesia dan BRICS.
... This evolving role of technology, as noted in the outmigration section, requires further investigation, as the pandemic alone does not fully explain these shifts. Instead, a broader perspective is needed-such as the concept of "polycrisis"-which examines the interconnected influences of environmental, economic, political, geopolitical, social, health, and technological factors (Asadieh and Neisch, 2024b;Davies and Hobson, 2023;Lawrence et al., 2024;Matlovič and Matlovičová, 2024). These complex interactions underscore the importance of holistic approaches to understanding cause and effect. ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a paradigm shift in the relationship between work, home, and urban structures, creating a situation where working from home (WFH) has become a significant driver of change. This descriptive-systematic review, using PRISMA 2020, investigates the impact of WFH during the COVID-19 pandemic on conventional location ties, which had far-reaching implications for urban geographies, work arrangements, and residential preferences. It includes studies related to location, WFH, and the pandemic indexed on Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases from 01. Jan 2019 to Jan 04, 2024. Key themes include changes in perceptions and urban development (outmigration and city planning, mobility, and socioeconomics). The findings revealed that, while WFH during the pandemic has deemed the necessity of job proximity and prompted a re-evaluation of residential choices, permanent and unanimous population shifts haven’t necessarily occurred, and responses have been context-based. Instead, a complex and transitional phase with hybrid work and evolving “place” and “location” perceptions has emerged that reflects the centrality of home and neighborhood for the future when remote work is prevalent. Proximity-based concepts like the 15-minute city and the focus on mixed-use neighborhoods are discussed. Authors caution that unmanaged transitions may exacerbate existing socioeconomic inequities as the extent of these changes depends heavily on the context, organizational policies, and socioeconomic factors. A holistic “polycrisis” approach is crucial for resilient, equitable post-pandemic urban planning. Longitudinal studies are recommended to track trends and inform future strategies.
... Within the policy process, a crisis can be said to mean a situation when a normal process of policymaking has been disrupted, and there are different theories and models to explain specifically energy crises (30). The term "polycrisis" has gained currency in scholarly debates to denote the current conjunction of multiple global crises (31). In addition, several internal crises (related, for example, to Brexit, migration, and the eurozone) preceded the current polycrisis in the EU (32). ...
This paper examines negative opinions on the European Green Deal (EGD) by combining critical discourse analysis of three Czech media and public opinion data analysis based on a representative sample of 821 Czech adults. Against the backdrop of the EGD contestation in the media debate and disagreement among the public, we evaluate the impact of the energy crisis and populism on resistance to this policy in a heavily coal-dependent post-communist Central European country. We found that neither the actors in the media debates nor the public were ready to support the EGD. In the media, politicians across all parliamentary parties portrayed the EGD as a factor behind high energy prices and as an EU-imposed threat. The populist ANO party and other Czech populists were vocal members of this broad-based discursive coalition. Among the public, resistance did not mean opposition to renewables or climate change denial. In the binary logistic regression model, variables related to the context of the energy crisis turned out to be a stronger predictor of EGD disagreement than sociodemographic and attitudinal characteristics. Statistically, ideological affiliation and preference for populism were unimportant. The coincidence of the energy crisis with the launch of the EGD caused the public to perceive the EGD policy measures as too radical and costly. Our findings contribute to the study of EGD adoption in the Central and Eastern European region, enrich the debate on populism, and foster a better understanding of the societal impacts of the energy crisis.
