Climate & Environment
Systemic Change
Change at the level of structures, rules and relationships — the transformation agenda beyond symptoms and single projects.
Definition
Systemic change is transformation of the underlying structures, rules, incentives, power relationships and mental models of a system, rather than adjustment of its outputs: changing how the food, energy or finance system works, not just mitigating its harms. In sustainability and development practice it distinguishes interventions that shift system behaviour durably — market systems development, policy reform, norm change — from projectised delivery that reverts when funding ends.
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