How network analysis is unlocking new solutions to sustainability challenges

At Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, researchers are delving into some of today’s most complex sustainability challenges using a powerful tool: network analysis. Through the Special Interest Group on Network Analysis for Sustainability (SIGNAS), scholars across various fields are exploring how this rapidly developing approach—the study of relationships and interactions within complex systems—can unlock new understandings across diverse sustainability challenges.

“Network analysis provides a way to see the bigger picture,” explain SIGNAS co-leads Rak Kim and Maryse Chappin “By mapping out connections within a complex system—whether they involve institutions, ecosystems, or people—researchers can uncover hidden patterns, identify key players, and better understand how these systems function. This helps us identify strengths, vulnerabilities, and opportunities in systems that would otherwise remain invisible.”

We spoke with five SIGNAS researchers to learn how network analysis enriches their work and brings critical insights into how we can build a more sustainable world.

Rak Kim & Ashok Adipudi: Improving global governance and addressing problem-shifting

International environmental treaties and organizations shape the global approach to protecting our planet, but they don’t work in isolation. Often, efforts to solve one environmental problem can inadvertently worsen another—a phenomenon known as “problem-shifting.” Multi-year research led by governance scholar Rak Kim is using network analysis to uncover how these interactions impact the effectiveness of multilateral environmental agreements and explore ways to minimize unintended consequences.

Ashok Adipudi, a PhD candidate who works on Kim’s PROBLEMSHIFTING project, highlights how network analysis plays a vital role in this work. “Network analysis allows us to map interactions between multilateral environmental agreements comprehensively,” Adipudi explains. This method helps identify where problem-shifting occurs, providing actionable insights to improve global environmental governance. “These insights are essential for policymakers seeking to design better coordinated and more effective agreements.”

Maryse Chappin: Understanding and scaling collaborations working towards sustainability transitions

Innovation scientist Maryse Chappin investigates how networks of collaborators contribute to sustainability transitions, specifically focusing on networks working on innovation in the energy sector. She uses network analysis to pinpoint which actors are crucial for scaling and to understand how networks develop over time. This work has highlighted the role of public funding in fostering knowledge sharing between networks working towards similar goals. “Public funding encourages knowledge sharing beyond individual projects, fostering the knowledge accumulation needed for scaling up sustainability solutions,” Chappin says.

Her research also explores how social networks form and evolve in contexts like entrepreneurship camps. “Network analysis helps us understand the ways in which networks formed in entrepreneurship camps crucial for learning and knowledge sharing.”

Els Weinans: Resilience in complex environmental systems

Environmental scientist Els Weinans focuses on understanding resilience within ecosystems, climate systems, and human networks. Her work investigates tipping points—critical thresholds where systems experience irreversible changes. “By studying these thresholds, I aim to improve the way resilience is measured in complex systems,” she says.

Weinans’ research demonstrates the value of network analysis in revealing how different parts of an ecosystem are connected, providing insights that go beyond traditional resilience measures. Her findings are already having impacts across fields: “My collaborations with medical specialists and psychologists have had clinical implications, and my contributions to the Global Tipping Point Report has helped to inform policy makers about the potential implications of climate tipping points.”

Janpieter van der Pol: Network analysis for more sustainable innovation

Transitions to a more sustainable future require new technologies. Innovation scientist Janpieter van der Pol looks at how knowledge is created and diffuses in an innovation ecosystem—a network or system of interconnected entities and environments that work together to foster innovation. His work highlights how national interests and global collaboration influence innovation pathways.

Network analysis provides Van der Pol with the tools to map out how knowledge spreads within an innovation ecosystem. “When analyzing complex systems such as innovation ecosystems, the structure and nature of the interactions within the system are vital for understanding how the system works.” His insights help shape policies to balance national innovation priorities with global collaboration, ensuring sustainable technological growth in an interconnected world.

SIGNAS: A hub for network science and sustainability

As these researchers continue to map the networks behind global challenges, their work offers hope for solutions that can bridge complexity and sustainability. “We’re happy that SIGNAS can provide a unique platform for collaboration to exchange ideas and methods across the many disciplines important to the study of sustainability,” reflect Kim and Chappin. “Our collective approach helps us uncover new insights that would be difficult to achieve in isolation.