On 31 May, Rosemary Kalapurakal, Kumi Naidoo and Per Olsson hosted a discussion about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and transformation. The discussion focused on the implications of transformation research for the implementation of the SDGs, particular SDG-17 – "Partnerships for the Goals" – the only goal that explicitly addresses how nations will meet these sustainability targets.

1. The SDGs and Transformations
- for People and the Planet
per.olsson@su.se
@perserudsper

2. Good for both planet and people?
Olsson and Galaz 2012

3. Sustainable development…

5. Ecosystem
services

6. Folke et al. 2016

12. Changing the system dynamics that
created the problem in the first place
A social innovation is any initiative, product,
process, program or design that challenges
and, over time, changes, the defining
routines, resource and authority flows or
beliefs of the broader social system in which
it is introduced. Successful social innovations
have durability, scale and transformative
impact.

13. Social-ecological innovations
• Change the system dynamics that
created the problem in the first
place…
• Fundamentally change human-
environmental interactions
• Enhance the capacity of ecosystems
to generate essential services
Olsson and Galaz 2012

14. Copyright Policymic
Photo: ©2010 Bruce R Mitchell
Bio fuel or bio fail?

15. Scaling up, out and deep

16. Merrie and Olsson 2014

19. “Every innovation has two parts: the first is the invention of the
thing itself; the second is the preparation of expectations so that
when the invention arrives it seems both surprising and familiar -
something long awaited” Edwin Land

20. Agency for change in complex adaptive
systems
• Social entrepreneurs
• Institutional entrepreneurs
• Moral entrepreneurs

21. System Entrepreneurship
• can help us analyze and understand the combined strategies of
all different forms of entrepreneurship and cross-scales
• reduce resilience of one part of a system, in order to build
resilience of an alternative approach
• challenges the broad institutional context in order for the
innovation to have transformative impact
Prepare Navigate Stabilize
Window of
Opportunity