UN University Report: Five Deep Transformations Needed for a Sustainable Future

The United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) has released its 2025 Interconnected Disaster Risks report, titled Turning Over a New Leaf, warning that surface-level solutions are no longer sufficient to address the world’s growing crises—rising inequality, climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The report introduces the Theory of Deep Change, arguing that the key to a sustainable future lies in transforming the foundational mindsets and structures behind human actions.

“We know the climate crisis is worsening, yet fossil fuel use keeps growing. We’re facing a waste crisis, but production continues to rise. We see the abyss, and yet we keep walking toward it,” said Prof. Shen Xiaomeng, Director of UNU-EHS. She stressed that these destructive paths persist because the root values and drivers of today’s systems remain unchallenged.

The report points out that many popular solutions—like recycling and pollution control—are merely superficial fixes. Taking plastic waste as an example, the focus is often on recycling systems, rather than questioning the deeper assumptions that allow overproduction in the first place, such as a culture of disposability and the belief that “new is better.” True change must begin at the roots; without shifting societal values, the systems themselves won’t change.

The report outlines five urgent areas for transformation: rethinking waste as a resource, restoring harmony with nature, shifting responsibility from “me” to “we,” broadening our time perspective from short-term to long-term, and redefining value—from economic growth to planetary well-being.

To achieve meaningful change, the Theory of Deep Change identifies two key types of levers: internal and external. Internal levers involve shifting paradigms—such as moving from self-interest to global responsibility—while external levers reshape policies, education, and institutions to support these new visions. Both are essential.

Although the report acknowledges that progress is often blocked by the “Delta of Doom”—a mix of vested interests, fear, and systemic inertia—it emphasizes that systems are human-made and thus can be changed. Dr. Zita Sebesvari, another lead author, concluded: “Change is hard, but going backward is not an option. We must stop thinking only about minimizing harm and start aiming for a better future. Now is the time to truly turn over a new leaf.”