Turbulent Transformation: Abrupt Societal Disruption and Climate Resilient Development

The authors use the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study to examine the role of governance in societal transformation, arguing against the belief that climate-resilient development can be engineered through purely rational policy decisions. They propose that navigating the 'turbulent nature of transformation' requires solidarity, socially equitable governance, and inclusive politics.

• The authors identify three critical pivot points for considering governance in climate-resilient development: the conflict between pursuing transformation versus returning to previous norms, the capacity for disruption and uncertainty to trigger change, and the impact of systemic inequality during crises.
• The paper challenges the prevailing assumption that desired and controlled outcomes for societal transformation can be achieved solely through rational policy engineering, emphasizing instead the inherent turbulence of such processes.
• Climate-resilient development is best achieved by managing the turbulence of transformation through socially equitable governance, solidarity, and the inclusion of contestatory politics.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2020). Turbulent Transformation: Abrupt Societal Disruption and Climate Resilient Development. https://www.sei.org/publications/turbulent-transformation-abrupt-societal-disruption-and-climate-resilient-development/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Turbulent Transformation: Abrupt Societal Disruption and Climate Resilient Development. 2020. https://www.sei.org/publications/turbulent-transformation-abrupt-societal-disruption-and-climate-resilient-development/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Turbulent Transformation: Abrupt Societal Disruption and Climate Resilient Development |date=16 October 2020 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/turbulent-transformation-abrupt-societal-disruption-and-climate-resilient-development/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2020turbulent, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Turbulent Transformation: Abrupt Societal Disruption and Climate Resilient Development}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/turbulent-transformation-abrupt-societal-disruption-and-climate-resilient-development/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }