How can we improve societal learning in dealing with complex challenges?

A unifying feature of all environmental and sustainability challenges is the complexity and uncertainty of the issues and relationships between goals, and problems. In order to deal effectvely with these issues we need to better learn about the interconections, and develop new approaches to policy making that reflect these lessons. Many tentative efforts have already been made in this direction.

Obstacles have to do with how communities of knowledge are organized and funded, and the possible trade offs between relying on technical expertise and democratic values. While they are not fundamental opposites, their potential contradictions do need to be considered and addressed.