A new global study finds sustainability research is focusing on the wrong actors in efforts to address climate change and biodiversity loss.

The research, published in Nature Sustainability, says the spotlight is too heavily focused on the private sector, the knowledge-production sector and the behaviour of individuals and is missing critical actors and actions who can help drive change. 

That includes civil society, public institutions and financial actors, whose decisions can profoundly affect environmental incomes.

The study, co-authored in collaboration with 29 researchers worldwide by Associate Professor Ram Pandit from The University of Western Australia School of Agriculture and Environment, analysed four million scholarly documents to examine how actions and responsible actors are represented in research on transformative change for sustainability.

In 2024, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services outlined five overarching strategies and 22 actions to drive sustainability across society. The new study shows that research attention is uneven and often fails to link actions with the actors responsible for delivering them.

While calls for rapid, systemic change to secure a just and sustainable future are growing, academic attention remains skewed. Technological solutions dominate the literature, while actions aimed at transforming economic systems and governance structures receive far less focus.

The analysis also shows research has disproportionately focused on the private sector and knowledge-production sectors, while civil society and public institutions receive far less attention. Financial actors, whose decisions can profoundly affect environmental outcomes, are particularly under-represented.

“If we are serious about transformative change, we must also examine economic structures, governance systems, and the roles of public institutions, civil society, and financial actors,” Associate Professor Pandit said.

The study also found research heavily emphasises individual behavioural changes, such as recycling habits, over systemic reforms in economic or governance systems.

“We need to focus on structural drivers of environmental degradation, not only on individuals’ behaviour,” Associate Professor Pandit said. “Addressing climate change and biodiversity loss requires coordinated action across institutions, markets, and communities.”

The researchers conclude that achieving genuine transformative change will require more pluralistic approaches to knowledge production and policy design.

“By broadening the focus beyond technological fixes and individual behaviour, sustainability science can better support the systemic shifts needed for a just and sustainable future where both people and nature can thrive,” Associate Professor Pandit said.