From Complexity to Climate Action: Systems Thinking for Policymaking
University of Nottingham | Nottingham | United Kingdom
Case Study Presentation | 12pm – 12.45pm, BST (Find Local Time)
Duration: 45 minutes (30 minute presentation followed by 15 minute Q&A)
Platform: Zoom
Description: Using Systems Thinking to Support Net Zero Decision Making: East Midlands Airport Green Futures Study
Achieving net zero requires policymakers to navigate complex systems involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and interconnected environmental, economic, social, and technological challenges. This case study presents the East Midlands Airport Green Futures Study, which applied Systems Thinking and Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) to explore pathways for decarbonising the wider airport ecosystem. Working collaboratively with industry, local authorities, infrastructure providers, transport operators, businesses, and academic partners, the project captured diverse stakeholder perspectives to identify key drivers, barriers, and opportunities for accelerating the transition to net zero. The session will demonstrate how participatory systems mapping informed strategic discussions around sustainable transport, hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, carbon capture, and regional energy infrastructure. Participants will gain practical insights into how systems approaches can support evidence-informed policymaking, improve stakeholder engagement, reveal unintended consequences, and identify high-impact interventions for delivering effective and resilient climate policy.
