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Long-term trends and a sustainability transition

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesPublished 26 June 2003Open access
Robert W. Kates, Thomas M. Parris
Citations358
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TL;DR

Ten classes of trends are emphasized, which makes them complex, contradictory, and often poorly understood, which serve as a checklist for the consideration of global trends that impact place-based sustainability studies.

Abstract

How do long-term global trends affect a transition to sustainability? We emphasize the "multitrend" nature of 10 classes of trends, which makes them complex, contradictory, and often poorly understood. Each class includes trends that make a sustainability transition more feasible as well as trends that make it more difficult. Taken in their entirety, they serve as a checklist for the consideration of global trends that impact place-based sustainability studies.

Keywords

Social SciencesDecision SciencesEnvironmental Science