Can Humanity Survive Climate Change?

Since its development in the UK during 1950s, social systems scientists have been using the socio-ecological body of knowledge known as Open Systems Theory (OST) to determine more effective ways of planning in turbulent and unpredictable environments. They have also identified better ways of designing organisations and communities that will lead to high levels of motivation and commitment to developed plans.

In the late 1960's, world renowned OST specialist, Fred Emery, discovered two organisational design principles that produce very different behavioural outcomes. The first design principle (Design Principle 1 or DP1) is familiar to most of us and is commonly known as the bureaucratic structure.

The DP1 structure, by its very nature, produces internal competition and therefore to survive, people must put their self-interest first. This behaviour in turn leads to low motivation and productivity, poor mental health, and high turnover and absenteeism, and these factors combine to weaken organisational resilience. No amount of tinkering with the structure will change its nature and behavioural outcomes.

For example, sending employees off to do 'team building' to change behaviours is not a sustainable solution. Once back in a DP1 environment self-interest will prevail. That is why management persistently get low scores when they conduct employee engagement surveys. A recent global Towers Perrin survey of 90,000 employees revealed that only 21% of employees are highly engaged in their work; the others are either not engaged or totally disengaged.

Unfortunately, from a standpoint of tackling climate change, most of Western society has structured its institutions and organisations according to DP1. We therefore have a ‘me/myself/I’ behaviour that exists across all levels of society. People put their self-interest and the quality of their lives before the wider community and our living planet, Earth.

The global financial crisis was a clear manifestation of this behaviour. In a 2010 book by Julian Birkinshaw titled 'Reinventing Management' he states on page 24, "The underlying cause of Lehman Brothers' demise was a poorly chosen management model that encouraged bankers to pursue their own interests at the expense of their employees and shareholders."

To effectively adapt to and mitigate the worsening effects of climate change we need a process that doesn't produce DP1 self-interest behaviours. Instead we need proven tools and techniques that will produce high levels of commitment to developed plans and sustained collaboration to get the job done; something akin to the efforts seen when citizens chip in after an accident or natural disaster.

In early 2009 Peter Aughton and Merrelyn Emery initiated the SFP&D program using OST concepts to generate the opposite behaviours of DP1. They designed a process with a Design Principle 2 or DP2 structure that motivates people to collectively take action on climate change now.

The SFP&D program, with its inbuilt DP2 features, enables individuals to personally develop by putting their organisations, communities and the Planet first.

However, many citizens are still yet to see "the bigger climate change picture" and understand the implications of self-interest behaviours for humanity. And time is quickly running out to reverse the effects of climate change. 

People living in Southern Australia have already been subjected to unprecedented climate disasters over the last few years, including:

• The most prolonged heatwaves on record producing many heat-related deaths
• Persistent drought resulting in crop failures and competition for diminishing water supplies
• Catastrophic fire storms that killed 173 Victorians on 7th February 2009
• Chaos on public transport systems as train lines buckled under extreme heat
• Super cell storms that generated cyclonic winds and large hail wrecking cars and buildings
• Widespread power blackouts effecting thousands of homes and businesses
• Destructive storm surges along coastal areas, and
• Many other extreme events that have created havoc and have collectively cost individuals, communities and businesses billions of dollars

Climate science clearly shows that these events are not passing phenomena. They are harbingers of worse things to come.

That is why it is absolutely essential that people in organisations and communities start working together to produce and implement their climate change adaption and mitigation plans now.

We humans cannot wait until we see climate catastrophe to get commitment because by then we’ll have irreversible conditions such as widespread drought and the quick melting of Greenland and Antarctic icesheets.

Leaders from all levels of society who are concerned for the future of humanity must act now to build a more sustainable world. The SFP&D development program can help them successfully meet this urgent challenge and develop solutions for a sustainable future.