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framing. Framing specifies what to be addressed and naturally prioritizes some
issues over others. At the same time, framing may even slow down or prevent the
envisioned conditions from being achieved because verifying what one framing
brings is hardly possible prior to its application; hence, unintended consequences
are often observed.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) scheme by the United Nations is
one example of framing that is likely to have both intended and unintended consequences. SDGs consist of 17 goals with 169 targets covering a wide range of sustainability issues. These goals are to be achieved by 2030 under the slogan of “no
one left behind.” Since their introduction in 2015, countries in both developed and
developing regions have adopted the scheme and are now conducting local initiatives to achieve the goals. Examining unintended consequences is equally important
to all efforts made to achieve SDGs. For example, one potential unintended consequence of setting the 17 goals is the fragmentation of individual goals despite the
fact that many of them are interlinked in reality. For instance, Goal 1, “No Poverty”,
is a comprehensive goal that must include hunger, education, access to clean water,
and many other dimensions of sustainable development. In fact, all other 16 goals
of SDGs are either directly and indirectly related to Goal 1.
Additionally, issues not included in the 17 goals may seem less important despite
the fact that they have equal or even greater impacts on human society such as
aging, mental health, and regional focus on rural areas. Because the topics related to
the goals are highlighted by policies at all levels, insufficient consideration to other
sustainability issues may be observed as one unintended consequence.
By presenting 17 goals clearly, the SDG scheme assumes that sustainable development can be achieved by filling these pieces of the Sustainable Development
picture. Such perspective stands on a premise that the whole can be understood and
fulfilled by understanding and integrating the parts. However, in reality, how the
whole works cannot be understood merely by a compilation of understanding how
parts function. This is because the interactions among the parts create generic functions that contribute to the capacity of the whole. One unintended consequence of
setting individual goals in the SDGs scheme is the missing discussion on the
interlinkages among the thematic goals. A holistic approach in sustainability science should be reflexive to the intended and unintended consequences of various
efforts for sustainable development; this will be an important process when linking
framing to actions for sustainability.
9.3 Concluding Remarks
The readers hopefully have learned from this volume what framing is theoretically,
why it is relevant to sustainability, and how framing practically influences the actual
implementation of countermeasures in overcoming the complex sustainability challenges. Framing is strongly influenced by past experiences, expertise and knowledge, social norms and values, and many other factors. Therefore, a difficulty in
9 Linking Framing to Actions for Sustanability
framing. Framing specifies what to be addressed and naturally prioritizes some
issues over others. At the same time, framing may even slow down or prevent the
envisioned conditions from being achieved because verifying what one framing
brings is hardly possible prior to its application; hence, unintended consequences
are often observed.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) scheme by the United Nations is
one example of framing that is likely to have both intended and unintended consequences. SDGs consist of 17 goals with 169 targets covering a wide range of sustainability issues. These goals are to be achieved by 2030 under the slogan of “no
one left behind.” Since their introduction in 2015, countries in both developed and
developing regions have adopted the scheme and are now conducting local initiatives to achieve the goals. Examining unintended consequences is equally important
to all efforts made to achieve SDGs. For example, one potential unintended consequence of setting the 17 goals is the fragmentation of individual goals despite the
fact that many of them are interlinked in reality. For instance, Goal 1, “No Poverty”,
is a comprehensive goal that must include hunger, education, access to clean water,
and many other dimensions of sustainable development. In fact, all other 16 goals
of SDGs are either directly and indirectly related to Goal 1.
Additionally, issues not included in the 17 goals may seem less important despite
the fact that they have equal or even greater impacts on human society such as
aging, mental health, and regional focus on rural areas. Because the topics related to
the goals are highlighted by policies at all levels, insufficient consideration to other
sustainability issues may be observed as one unintended consequence.
By presenting 17 goals clearly, the SDG scheme assumes that sustainable development can be achieved by filling these pieces of the Sustainable Development
picture. Such perspective stands on a premise that the whole can be understood and
fulfilled by understanding and integrating the parts. However, in reality, how the
whole works cannot be understood merely by a compilation of understanding how
parts function. This is because the interactions among the parts create generic functions that contribute to the capacity of the whole. One unintended consequence of
setting individual goals in the SDGs scheme is the missing discussion on the
interlinkages among the thematic goals. A holistic approach in sustainability science should be reflexive to the intended and unintended consequences of various
efforts for sustainable development; this will be an important process when linking
framing to actions for sustainability.
9.3 Concluding Remarks
The readers hopefully have learned from this volume what framing is theoretically,
why it is relevant to sustainability, and how framing practically influences the actual
implementation of countermeasures in overcoming the complex sustainability challenges. Framing is strongly influenced by past experiences, expertise and knowledge, social norms and values, and many other factors. Therefore, a difficulty in
9 Linking Framing to Actions for Sustanability