Abstract

As the world becomes more interconnected and glocalized, a greater number of society’s problems will meet the criteria of a wicked problem. The complex systems of society, economies, and the environment are becoming increasingly intertwined and overwhelm the traditional problem-solving strategies of governments, institutions, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Science and society need a transdisciplinary approach or they will continue to be debilitated by the potential of the next looming wicked problem. The emerging field of sustainability science needs to identify how to transcend the sector boundaries and better understand the principles of wicked problems.