It’s time to change the way we think about changing the world.
Systems Change Lab monitors, learns from and mobilizes action toward the transformational shifts needed to protect both people and the planet.
We can unlock systems change
Imagine a future where we reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, halt biodiversity loss and build a just and equitable economy. Building such a future is possible — and it's also within reach. Luckily, we've never had more information about what needs to be done.
To ignite transformational change across our interconnected systems, Systems Change Lab has identified more than 70 shifts needed to protect both people and the planet. Within each shift, we measure how much progress has been made toward 2030 and 2050 science-based targets, as well as enablers and barriers of systems change.
We monitor global progress
Together we can spark the radical transformations needed for the planet to survive and thrive. To pinpoint opportunities for leveraging systems change, we track where change is accelerating or heading in the wrong direction, and we identify critical data gaps.
We’ve identified 72 targets of progress across 5 systems. Of these targets, 31 are moving in the right direction and 1 is on track.
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On Track | Change is occurring at or above the pace required to achieve to 2030 targets |
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Promising but Off Track | Change is heading in the right direction at a promising but insufficient pace |
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Right Direction but Off Track | Change is heading in the right direction, but well below the required pace |
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Wrong Direction | Change is heading in the wrong direction, and a u-turn is needed |
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Cannot Calculate | Data are insufficient to assess the gap in action required direction |
We analyze enablers and barriers
Targets can only tell us part of the story: there are many other factors at play that can spark and sustain progress. To understand the underlying conditions that can accelerate or impede change, we’ve identified 167 enablers and barriers across 5 systems.
Innovations in Technology, Practices and Approaches
Leadership from Change Agents
Regulation and Incentives
Strong Institutions
Behavior Change and Shifts in Social Norms
We identify indicators to watch
There are promising signs that show accelerated change is possible. These signals of change indicate where momentum is growing.
- Global investments in battery storage have grown from $1.6 billion in 2015 to $18 billion in 2022, reaching an average growth rate of 36% per year since 2019.
- Subsidies for coal, electricity, and fossil gas fell 52% from $192 billion in 2016 to $91 billion in 2020, although they are beginning to creep back up in the face of recent geopolitical and economic crises.
- Between 2010 and 2020, global green hydrogen production increased almost 7-fold.
- The total number of announced low carbon steel projects has been increasing rapidly in recent years — there were nine in 2019 and 51 in 2021.
- About 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions were covered by a direct carbon pricing regime as of 2022, compared with 13% in 2020.
We mobilize action across systems
Explore our open-source platform to determine the state of play across each system, learn how systems interact and discover actions you can take to accelerate change.
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Cities & the Built Environment System
Cities & the Built Environment
Coming soon
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Forests & Land System
Forests & Land
Coming soon
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Oceans System
Oceans
Coming soon
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Freshwater System
Freshwater
Coming soon
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Food System
Food
Coming soon
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Circular Economy System
Circular Economy
Coming soon
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Governance System
Governance
Coming soon
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Social Inclusion & Equity System
Social Inclusion & Equity
Coming soon
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New Economics System
New Economics
Coming soon
Discover data-driven insights
Systems Change Lab tracks global progress across systems and highlights current action against climate, biodiversity and equity targets.
Coming Soon: Connections
Our world is complex and interconnected — small changes in one system can have unforeseen consequences in others. In 2023, Systems Change Lab will release a tool to show how systems are connected, highlighting where coordinated action is most needed.
Partners and Funders
Convened by World Resources Institute and Bezos Earth Fund, Systems Change Lab supports the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions and works with key partners and funders including Climate Action Tracker (a project of NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics), ClimateWorks Foundation, Global Environment Facility, Just Climate, Mission Possible Partnership, Systemiq, University of Exeter and the University of Tokyo’s Center for Global Commons, among others. Systems Change Lab is a component of the Global Commons Alliance.
