Why and how the humanities matter for sustainability transformations: a humanities-sustainability science bridging perspective

Hitherto dominant modes of researching and governing transformation(s) are insufficient for society, including science, to adequately respond to the current polycrisis. For science to help guide, steer, and enable transformative change, all disciplines, including the humanities, are needed. The contemporary research landscape on sustainability transformation is diverse yet fragmented. Until very recently, the humanities have mostly occupied a peripheral position within the mainstream transformative change research, in part because their relevance appears less pronounced within positivist and linear frameworks. We aim to reduce this fragmentation by highlighting how concepts and skills from the humanities are applied to research on sustainability transformations. This paper is intended for a diverse readership: sustainability scientists seeking to deepen their transformative impact and humanities scholars looking for interdisciplinary entry points into the discourse on sustainability transformations. We highlight why and how the humanities matter for sustainability transformation by focusing on their contributions to systems, target and transformation knowledge. In particular, we argue that the humanities are uniquely suited to contribute target and transformation knowledge. They support the “how” of transformative change and enable the co-creation of visions and solution options that match the complexity of sustainability challenges. Through nine interrelated points, we illustrate how the humanities are active in co-creating and are further positioned to enrich visions and pathways for sustainability transformation(s).