IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2020 - 19

grassroots activists, scientists, and
political leaders across the globe is
clear: to avoid the worst impacts of
the climate crisis and to achieve the
United Nations Sustainable Develop-
ment Goals (SDGs), we need rapid
societal transformations [2]-[7].
Rapid and widespread s- ocietal
transformations are already un-
-
derway. Big data, the Internet of
Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence
(AI), blockchain, and other digital
technologies are disrupting social
systems and driving societal trans-
for mations at a sca le a nd pace
unparalleled in history. However, it is
not clear where these digital disrup-
tions will lead humanity. Many risks
and uncertainties are emerging,
including threats to individual rights,
social equity, and democracy. Many
of the risks are amplified by "the
digital divide" - the differential rate
of Internet penetration and access
to digital technologies around the
world [8]. As the commercialization
of AI, blockchain, and derivative
technologies expands, the dispar-
ity between those who benefit and
those who do not will grow unless
proactive action is taken.
Yet, massive opportunities exist
for leveraging the capabilities of the
digital age to steer society towards
net-zero carbon emissions and a
more equitable global society. To
seize the potential and minimize
the risks, the climate and digital
communities must work together
to: anticipate the systems changes
that are unfolding as a result of the
digital revolution, imagine new sys-
tems changes that could be realized
from digitalization, and identify the
actions that must be taken now to
steer these powerful levers of change
to help build the world we want.
A new report, Digital Disruptions
for Sustainability Agenda (the D^2S
Agenda) [9], developed by Future
Earth's Sustainability in the Digital
Age initiative, explores these issues.
JUNE 2020

The D^2S Agenda was developed over
How have such transformative
the course of a year, engaging over
systems changes come about so
250 experts from around the world
rapidly? More than 20 years ago,
through workshops, online consul-
renowned systems scientist, Donel-
tations, and desk-top research. This
la Meadows, argued that making
article provides an overview of the
fundamental changes to a system
analysis and findings outlined in the
requires identifying and pushing
D^2S Agenda.
We begin with an overview
of the research on how to
change systems and drive
societal transformations.
Digital technologies are
We then describe the pro-
cess used to develop the
disrupting social systems and
D^2S Agenda and provide
driving societal transformations
a summary of the research
and innovations outlined in
at a scale and pace unparalleled
it. The final section outlines
near-term actions needed to
in history.
establish the enabling condi-
tions to drive the transforma-
tive systems changes needed for a
on influential "leverage points" [10].
climate-safe and equitable world.
These are points within a complex
system, such as an economy, an
Systems Change and Societal
ecosystem, or a community, where a
Transformations
small shift in one place can produce
History shows that rapid societal
major changes everywhere. Mead-
transformations are possible and
ows showed that the strongest lever-
even common. The Industrial Revo-
age points are those that alter the
lution, the Green Revolution, women
rules of the system, the power struc-
gaining the right to vote, the col-
tures and dynamics that uphold
lapse of the Soviet Union, and the
existing rules, and the mindsets that
end of apartheid in South Africa
define them (see Figure 1) [10].
are all examples of societal trans-
This insight has not yet been
formations spurred by disruptions
effectively applied to the climate
caused by technological advances,
crisis. Climate strategies often treat
social movements, market signals,
climate change as a carbon manage-
and/or government policies. In
ment problem, focusing on techni-
previous centuries, rapid transfor-
cal solutions for reducing emissions
mations have occurred over sev-
by sector [11], [12], rather than driv-
ing changes in the socio-economic
eral decades. More recently, the
systems that underpin all sectors.
time for societal transformations
Although technical strategies that
to occur can be measured in years
focus on cutting emissions by sec-
rather than decades. For example,
tor are essential, they are not highover just a few years, Microsoft
leverage drivers of systems change.
and Apple brought computing to a
Instead, they fall into the low-lever-
large fraction of humanity, Google
age "parameters and structures"
transformed access to information,
category of system-change levers
Facebook transformed how people
depicted in Figure 1. Systems scien-
connect with each other, and eBay
tists suggest that information flows
and Amazon transformed how peo-
and controls are stronger levers for
ple conduct business.
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