Systems Thinking
for Sustainability
Understand how systems thinking can help you tackle sustainability challenges. You'll learn practical tools and ways of thinking that connect the different parts of a problem, so you can approach environmental issues with a clearer, more interdisciplinary perspective.
10% Early Bird discount ends September 18th.
Programme highlights
In today’s fast-evolving world, mastering systems thinking is essential for sustainability professionals to navigate and solve the complex, interconnected environmental and social challenges we face.
Professional
Oct 21st, 2026
7 sessions, 7 weeks
£850
Discount available for self-funders, start ups and non-profits.
Online
All sessions will be delivered online.
90 min online session p/w
1-3 hours of reading/prep
Upcoming events
Why Systems Thinking?
The modern economy is suddenly shaped by a Race to Artificial Intelligence. Yet, the real – increasingly existential – race is whether we can exercise Sustainable Intelligence before it is too late.
Systems thinking, newly on the rise in many fields, but still largely absent in professional settings, holds the key because it explains why so many widely accepted sustainability ‘solutions’ continue to disappoint and identifies alternative strategies that may yet work.
This course presents the key techniques and insights of systems thinking for those seeking better answers for today’s sustainability challenges.
What you need to know
LIS leads in interdisciplinary education, empowering you with expert systems thinking skills essential for confronting and solving today's complex sustainability issues urgently.
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Who is this course for?
This course may be of interest to those:
- Working in the sustainability field (in private, public, or non-profit sectors) who seek a deeper understanding of the fundamental drivers of social and ecological problems.
- Wishing to learn more about complexity and systems thinking.
- Experiencing frustration or dissonance with today’s sustainability discourse (and possibly their own sustainability roles), but who have had limited opportunity to explore the underlying reasons for their frustration.
- Seeking clearer understanding of why there can be so much widespread and seemingly earnest commitment to ‘sustainability’, yet certain problems only seem to be getting worse.
- Eager to understand and identify more fundamental and authentic sustainability solutions.
Structure of the course
The course consists 6 online sessions.
The course follows a ‘U-shaped’ structure of ‘unlearning to relearn’ that leads participants from the ‘surface’ of today’s problems to the ‘deeper’ insights of systems thinking and then back to the surface to reflect on sustainability solutions with a newly acquired systems perspective.
Programme overview
*This course structure is provisional and may change as we finalise the content.
What do our past participants say?
"I highly recommend this course to anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of systems thinking and complexity, particularly in the context of social and environmental challenges. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by conventional approaches to sustainability or questioned the impact of your contribution in this field, this program offers an opportunity to explore these issues at a much deeper level. It will guide you through a transformative personal and professional journey challenging assumptions, broadening perspectives, and equipping you with the understanding of how to develop meaningful, practical solutions to today’s sustainability challenges."
Sonal
Participant
"This programme has genuinely shifted how I see climate challenges. I came in feeling the complexity was overwhelming, but the course helped me make sense of why so many well-intentioned solutions fall short, and, importantly, where deeper leverage points lie."
Bee
Participant
"Duncan is a brilliant teacher, and the cohort comprised a diversity of professional backgrounds, which really enriched the learning experience. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in systems thinking and its usefulness in thinking about the challenges of our time."
Jo
Participant
Grasp Key Systems Thinking and Complexity Concepts for Sustainability
Understand Ecological, Social, and Economic Systems as Interconnected Complex Systems for Sustainability
Recognize the Relationship Between Private, Public Policy, and Cultural Responses to Sustainability Challenges
Build a Framework for Understanding the Evolution of Sustainability Discourse Over the Last 50 Years
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of the unique principles, complexities, and practices of systems thinking, and how to effectively apply these insights to tackle sustainability challenges in their professional lives.
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