Perceptions and risks in the search for a sustainable world: a model-based approach

The concept of sustainable development is becoming more and more common in environmental, policy and business circles. Yet it is difficult to operationalise, and when operationalised, it often reflects a narrow disciplinary and/or thematic background and value spectrum. In this paper, we present an integrated assessment model, TARGETS, with which some aspects of the long-term dynamics of the global system are explored. In this exploration, we introduce explicitly uncertainties stemming from different positions viz-a-viz large controversies by implementing divergent cultural perspectives. The results give an indication of the risks involved in adhering to certain combinations of worldviews and management/policy styles.

Keywords: cultural perspectives, global modelling, integrated assessment