Thinking systemically, acting sustainably

In a world where ecological, social, and economic challenges are closely intertwined, it is no longer sufficient to think about sustainability in purely technical or isolated terms. Sustainability consulting needs a change of perspective—towards systemic thinking that does not shy away from complexity but sees it as part of the solution.

Why is a systemic approach so important in the field of sustainability?

In recent years, I have found that the approach in sustainability has focused heavily on regulatory requirements, key performance indicators, and individual measures. This was useful and necessary in order to bring sustainability departments out of their niche and integrate them into the logic of many companies. Nevertheless, even today, we still see overworked and frustrated lone warriors or small teams in the sustainability departments of organizations, with varying levels of support from management and specialist departments, with varying budgets, and with varying degrees of integration of sustainability issues into core processes and corporate strategy.

Anyone who wants to design sustainability management holistically must recognize that organizations are living social systems and must recognize and understand the dynamics, interactions, and patterns within the company. This is exactly where the systemic approach comes in:

• It assumes that behavior always arises in context.
• It focuses on relationships rather than isolated elements.
• It strengthens personal responsibility instead of making one-sided promises to solve problems.

This means that sustainability is not a checklist, but rather a cultural, structural, and strategic change. Systemic sustainability consulting provides the appropriate framework for this.

Relief for sustainability experts through a systemic approach

Many sustainability managers experience high pressure in their roles: expectations are high, resources are limited, and the issues and challenges are complex. The systemic perspective helps to distribute responsibility differently:

• Not everything has to be solved alone. Sustainability becomes a joint task for all departments.
• Recognizing dynamics means avoiding unnecessary struggles. For example, those who understand resistance as a signal rather than a blockade can intervene in a more targeted manner.
• Working with leverage points instead of actionism: Systemic consulting helps to achieve a greater impact with less effort.

This creates space for clarity, prioritization, and real change.

How systemic thinking accelerates change processes in sustainability management

A common misconception is that systemic work is slow or theoretical. In reality, a systemic approach can significantly accelerate transformation processes because it focuses less on symptoms and more on structures and causes:

• Faster decision-making because stakeholders are involved and understood.
• Less friction because dynamics are identified and reflected upon at an early stage.
• More resonance because measures are anchored in existing contexts instead of bypassing them.

Sustainability consulting with a systemic approach means working with the system rather than against it. This saves time and energy—and significantly increases the chances of implementation.

Future security through self-organization: enabling sustainability from within

My goal as a consultant is not to be needed permanently. On the contrary: I support organizations so that they can independently overcome their sustainability challenges in the future. The systemic approach promotes exactly that:

• Competence building instead of dependency
• Enabling instead of controlling
• Participation instead of top-down decisions

Das Unternehmen wird zum lernenden System. Nachhaltigkeit wird zur inneren Haltung, nicht nur zur externen Anforderung.

The company becomes a learning system. Sustainability becomes an internal attitude, not just an external requirement.

This all sounds very theoretical, but I look forward to diving deeper into each of these topics with you in the next blog posts. 

Do you need support in (further) developing your sustainability strategy, reporting, competence building, or organizational development issues? Then feel free to contact me at any time.