TC/ESG25 Conference: Navigating Sustainability Transformations Towards Justice and Equity

AUG 18–21, 2025
Johannesburg, South Africa

The Transformations Community, in collaboration with the  Earth System Governance Project (ESG), and Wits University, hosted its 7th biennial conference in Africa. With a focus on collaboration, the event brought together researchers, experts, and their community partners who co-produce knowledge and actionable solutions for sustainability transformations.

Bruce Goldstein opened the conference by reflecting on the opportunities within the transformations community, highlighting the need to understand thresholds, experiment at the margins and create safe spaces for innovation. Frank Biermann emphasised the importance of framing science as a foundation for navigating complex social-ecological realities and informing policy. The Wits Global Change Institute explained the need for action research, social inclusion, critical thinking and decolonisation of knowledge systems to address global sustainability challenges. Empirical research presented at the conference demonstrated governance failures. In Southern African conservation landscapes, including Hwange and Sengwe, researchers such as Loswitha Phiona Murugani and Nick Ncube showed that communities are often excluded from decision making, despite having extensive local knowledge on soil regeneration, human wildlife coexistence and wild food foraging. These studies emphasised that inclusive, participatory governance is essential for sustainable futures that recognise both human and ecological needs. David Obura also described the importance of plural knowledge systems, equity and localised solutions in fostering sustainability. He noted that current policies often reflect dominant worldviews, neglecting the balance required between nature, society and economics. Karen O’Brien reinforced this, arguing that addressing root causes such as domination, short termism and disconnection from nature is critical for achieving sustainable and just futures.

Translational and plural practices

Natalia Radywyl demonstrated the use of translational practices to bridge disciplines, sectors and cultures. Storytelling, visual mapping and co-designed tools can help diverse groups navigate different perspectives and knowledge systems while coordinating collective action.

Place-based and participatory research

Embedded research allows governance to be informed by local realities. Sessions led by Vítor Renck, Kinga Psiuk and Ella-Kari Muhl showed how working with artisanal fishing communities and other local groups can integrate local knowledge into governance. The “Seeds of Good Anthropocene” projects in Ghana, South Africa and Kenya, presented by Judith William, Sandra Boatemaa Kushitor and Deborah Larbi-Sarpong, demonstrated that participatory initiatives promoting equity and inclusion strengthen food system resilience and inform policy.

Storytelling, embodiment and dialogue

Governance for transformation is also recognised as relational. Mpume and the team from Empatheatre introduced the potential of storytelling to create dialogue, facilitate collaboration and generate evidence for policy. The academic mothers’ co-creation lab offered another example of reflective practice, enabling participants to navigate the intersections between professional and personal transformation. These approaches show that transformation is lived through relationships and practice, not only through policy directives.