TY - JOUR

T1 - “We cannot escape this”

T2 - discussing leverage points for sustainability across scales with the example of Ouvéa, Kanaky New Caledonia

AU - Riechers, Maraja

AU - Baumann, Lilly

AU - Braun, Marjan

AU - Ganachaud, Alexandre

AU - Heeg, Paulina

AU - Sabinot, Catherine

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.

PY - 2024/12

Y1 - 2024/12

N2 - Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, Pacific Island Countries and Territories often shoulder an unequal burden of climate risks. To analyse pathways to sustainability, we conducted a leverage points analysis on the complex sustainability challenges facing the low-lying atoll Ouvéa in Kanaky New Caledonia (France). Leverage points are places within complex systems where interventions can lead to transformative change. Combining a literature review and qualitative interviews with regional, government, provincial, and local stakeholders, we contextualised eight leverage points: (1) expanding and improving coastal protection, (2) strengthening or creating monetary incentives, funding possibilities or forms of compensation to alleviate costs of climate change adaptation and sustainability measures, (3) conducting more research and monitoring, (4) strengthening environmental regulation and restrictions, (5) empowerment of women, youth, and local communities and increasing awareness of power imbalances to strengthen gender equity and social inclusion, (6) establishing new conservation management measures and improving existing ones, (7) increasing institutionalisation of environmental and climate change education, and (8) involving diverse knowledge systems and practices in research and management to strengthen participatory, transdisciplinary, and community-based initiatives. Our results emphasise the importance of acknowledging responsibilities across multiple scales, showing the non-transferability of some interventions due to perceived high costs and incompatibility with local culture. Illustrating dimensions of ocean equity in the context of Ouvéa, we discuss the importance of local values and knowledge systems to ensure fair distribution of costs and benefits in sustainability interventions.

AB - Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, Pacific Island Countries and Territories often shoulder an unequal burden of climate risks. To analyse pathways to sustainability, we conducted a leverage points analysis on the complex sustainability challenges facing the low-lying atoll Ouvéa in Kanaky New Caledonia (France). Leverage points are places within complex systems where interventions can lead to transformative change. Combining a literature review and qualitative interviews with regional, government, provincial, and local stakeholders, we contextualised eight leverage points: (1) expanding and improving coastal protection, (2) strengthening or creating monetary incentives, funding possibilities or forms of compensation to alleviate costs of climate change adaptation and sustainability measures, (3) conducting more research and monitoring, (4) strengthening environmental regulation and restrictions, (5) empowerment of women, youth, and local communities and increasing awareness of power imbalances to strengthen gender equity and social inclusion, (6) establishing new conservation management measures and improving existing ones, (7) increasing institutionalisation of environmental and climate change education, and (8) involving diverse knowledge systems and practices in research and management to strengthen participatory, transdisciplinary, and community-based initiatives. Our results emphasise the importance of acknowledging responsibilities across multiple scales, showing the non-transferability of some interventions due to perceived high costs and incompatibility with local culture. Illustrating dimensions of ocean equity in the context of Ouvéa, we discuss the importance of local values and knowledge systems to ensure fair distribution of costs and benefits in sustainability interventions.

KW - Equity

KW - Marine social science

KW - Ocean Decade

KW - Oceania

KW - Pacific Island States and Territories

KW - Sustainable development goals

KW - Biology

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85204572697&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10113-024-02290-9

DO - 10.1007/s10113-024-02290-9

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85204572697

VL - 24

JO - Regional Environmental Change

JF - Regional Environmental Change

SN - 1436-3798

IS - 4

M1 - 146

ER -