The psychological and cultural aspects of systems change are commonly neglected — but they’re crucial to finding effective solutions to global crises.

Understandably, material concerns dominate the policy conversation around sustainability and systemic transformation. Yet at the root level, our crises are created and perpetuated by factors in our psychology and meaning—making.

From consumerist values to evolutionary impulses that skew our perceptions and political behaviours, these inner dynamics subtly dictate the course of our external world. It’s why Donella Meadows, the lead author of The Limits to Growth, saw this arena of “mindsets” as the “deepest leverage point for change.”