Leveraging the metacoupling framework for sustainability science and global sustainable development

Abstract

Sustainability science seeks to understand human-nature interactions behind sustainability challenges, but has largely been place-based. Traditional sustainability efforts often solved problems in one place at the cost of other places, compromising global sustainability. The metacoupling framework offers a conceptual foundation and a holistic approach to integrating human-nature interactions within a place, as well as between adjacent places and between distant places worldwide. Its applications show broad utilities for advancing sustainability science with profound implications for global sustainable development. They have revealed effects of metacoupling on the performance, synergies, and trade-offs of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across borders and across local to global scales; untangled complex interactions; identified new network attributes; unveiled spatio-temporal dynamics and effects of metacoupling; uncovered invisible feedbacks across metacoupled systems; expanded the nexus approach; detected and integrated hidden phenomena and overlooked issues; re-examined theories such as Tobler's First Law of Geography; and unfolded transformations among noncoupling, coupling, decoupling, and recoupling. Results from the applications are also helpful to achieve SDGs across space, amplify benefits of ecosystem restoration across boundaries and across scales, augment transboundary management, broaden spatial planning, boost supply chains, empower small agents in the large world, and shift from place-based to flow-based governance. Key topics for future research include cascading effects of an event in one place on other places both nearby and far away. Operationalizing the framework can benefit from further tracing flows across scales and space, uplifting the rigor of causal attribution, enlarging toolboxes, and elevating financial and human resources. Unleashing the full potential of the framework will generate more important scientific discoveries and more effective solutions for global justice and sustainable development.

Keywords: biodiversity; ecosystem services; human–nature interactions; planetary boundaries; sustainable development; telecoupling.

Figure 1.

A diagram of the metacoupling framework and its relationship to sustainability. Each box indicates a coupled human and natural system, which consists of humans (e.g. populations, households) and nature (e.g. biodiversity, climate) that are connected by various flows (movements of information, people, organisms, energy, matter, products, capital, etc) and generate human–nature interactions within the system (intracoupling). Different systems are also connected by flows that lead to pericoupling (human–nature interactions between adjacent systems) and telecoupling (human–nature interactions between distant systems). Each system also includes causes (reasons behind the flows), agents (decision-making entities that facilitate the flows), and effects (e.g. ecological and socioeconomic consequences of the flows). The sending and receiving systems are represented by boxes with solid boundaries while the spillover system is represented by a box with dashed boundary lines. Metacoupling and other factors affect sustainability in each system and globally (represented by 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)). Human–nature interactions occur horizontally (among systems of different hierarchical structures at the same spatial scale), diagonally (among systems of different hierarchical structures at different spatial scales), and vertically (among systems of the same hierarchical structure across different spatial scales); and change over time. Credit (SDG symbols): [7] and [143].

Figure 2.

Scores of SDG targets under telecoupling, pericoupling, and intracoupling scenarios. (A) Dynamics of SDGct scores (composite target scores—overall performance in achieving all evaluated SDG targets) for all countries under the three scenarios. (B) SDGct scores for developed and developing countries under each scenario. (C) Differences in SDG target scores between the telecoupling and pericoupling scenarios. The error bars refer to the standard errors in the SDG target scores (n  =  15). Adapted with permission from [8]. Copyright 2020, Nature Portfolio.

Figure 3.

SDG synergies and trade-offs within and across boundaries of Wolong Nature Reserve and other nature reserves for giant panda conservation in China due to tourism and panda loans. Bold numbers refer to specific SDG targets and indicators. GPICF = Giant Panda International Collaboration Fund. Adapted with permission from [10]. Copyright 2020, Elsevier Inc.

Figure 4.

Global metacoupled marine fisheries catches during 1950–2014. Intracoupling refers to industrial, artisanal, subsistence, and recreational catches and intranational flows from fishing within nations’ own exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Pericoupling denotes industrial catches in, and flows from, EEZs of adjacent nations. Telecoupling represents industrial catches in, and flows from, EEZs of distant nations. Adapted with permission from [70]. Copyright 2020, MDPI.

Figure 5.

Proportion of marine fisheries catches and flows out of total catches in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) during 1950–2014. (A) Intracoupling refers to industrial, artisanal, subsistence, and recreational catches and intranational flows from fishing within nations’ own EEZs. (B) Pericoupling denotes industrial catches in, and flows from, EEZs of adjacent nations. (C) Telecoupling represents industrial catches in, and flows from, EEZs of distant nations. Modified with permission from [70]. Copyright 2020, MDPI.

Figure 6.

Flows of soybeans from Brazil (sending system) to China and other countries (receiving systems) and flows of fertilizers (potassium) from countries such as Canada and Russia (spillover systems) to Brazil for soybean production. Also shown are the amounts of soybean exports from Brazil to four representative countries in 2005 and 2015, and potassium imports to Brazil from four representative countries in 2005 and 2015. Modified with permission from [56]. Copyright 2018, Elsevier Inc.

Figure 7.

Diagram of hypothetical transformations among noncoupling (A), coupling (B), decoupling (C), and recoupling (D) of intracoupling, pericoupling and telecoupling (e.g. economic development, international trade, tourism, migration) under global shocks (e.g. economic recession, pandemic, war). Arrow thickness indicates relative magnitudes of intracoupling, pericoupling, and telecoupling. Modified with permission from [94]. Copyright 2022, Springer.

Figure 8.

Temporal dynamics of the relative contribution of intracoupling, pericoupling, and telecoupling to metacoupling of world regions (Africa, Asia, eastern Europe, Latin America, North America, Oceania, and Western Europe), represented as the percentage of merchandise exports within a region (intracoupling), between adjacent regions (pericoupling), and between distant regions (telecoupling). For example, exports within Africa are intracoupling, exports between Africa and Western Europe are pericoupling, and exports between Africa and North America are telecoupling. The vertical lines delineate time periods with different global processes (A = Belle Epoque; B = Two World Wars, economic depression and the Spanish flu pandemic; C = Post-war; D = Economic recession of the early 1980s; E = Establishment of the World Trade Organization and growth of e-commerce; F = Great Recession of the late 2000s–early 2010s). Adapted with permission from [94]. Copyright 2022, Springer.

Figure 9.

A hypothetical example illustrating cascading human–nature interactions across space. Both USA and Brazil are major soybean producers and exporters for China and many countries in Europe. When a drought occurred in the US Midwest, which is the major soybean production region, it led to a reduction in US soybean production. The reduced production might have lowered soybean exports and boosted soybean price. The price rise could have encouraged farmers in Brazil to convert more forests and grasslands for soybean production. Land conversion causes habitat loss and biodiversity loss. Credit (icons of soybeans, drought, and flower): flaticon (https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/soybean_5601549); discovermagazine (https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/what-are-flash-droughts); and Calliandra (https://www.calliandragastronomia.com.br).