In response to the urgency of sustainability challenges, there is a growing recognition of the incumbent firm’s role to engage in sustainable transitions. This paper explores the potential of systemic design as an approach for incumbent firms to facilitate sustainability transitions. A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on research contributions between 2000 and 2023 in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. To synergize the review, the TCCM typology (Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methods) was applied. The analysis contrasts systemic design interventions in commercial and non-commercial contexts. It has been found that existing research in a commercial environment primarily focuses on small to midsized (social) enterprises facilitating local circularity transitions. Differing from the non-commercial environment, where research focuses on diverse wicked societal problems. By identifying this gap, this contribution aims to advocate for a holistic perspective and interventions addressing sustainability transitions in a commercial context and advance the role of incumbent firms to such transitions. By that this paper contributes to advancing understanding and practice in systemic design for sustainable transitions in a commercial context.@en

Airports, the essential hubs of global travel, have to cater for the increasing demands for air travel, with growing passenger numbers and the associated growth in resource consumption. While the aviation sector prioritizes reducing environmental impact in the air, substantial waste is generated at airports. This necessitates a critical examination of waste management practices, especially since a Circular Economy (CE) approach is gaining momentum within the aviation sector. This article introduces the Baseline Circular Airports Method (BCAM), a methodology developed and rigorously tested at Schiphol Amsterdam airport. BCAM systematically analyzes resource streams, considering composition and relevant stakeholders, treatment processes, and environmental impact. By doing so, it establishes strategic prioritization of resource streams for airports to perform focused and effective interventions. BCAM analysis reveals that the highest impact of operational resource streams are Residual, Plastic, Swill, Paper, and International Catering Waste (CAT1), and that corresponding waste management efficiencies can be determined. These outcomes serve as a baseline for ongoing monitoring, offering airports a starting point for strategic planning and assessing progress towards sustainable waste management and CE transitions.@en

This research uses systemic design to develop interventions for sustainable change in a business context. The primary objective is to address the communication and translation of systemic insights into practical business actions. Bridging the gap between research and practice is a major challenge in effectively communicating systemic insights and guiding actionable decision-making. Therefore, the research question guiding this study is: “How can systemic insights be effectively translated into feasible actions for businesses?” To address this question, a combination of established methods was applied in the business case study of sustainable parenthood. The systemic analysis involved defining system boundaries, gathering data through desk research and interviews with business stakeholders, and creating a causal loop diagram. Further, Donella Meadows’ theory was applied to identify leverage points for behavioural change strategies. To make the complexity of the system map and its leverage points comprehensible for stakeholders, it was translated into a story map and subsequently into insight cards. In-depth validation and analysis of the systemic insights were done through qualitative user interviews (n=10). The main contribution of this paper is the use of insight cards, which offer a tangible and accessible format for conveying systemic insights. The cards allow the communication of complex systemic language and bridge research and practice. However, while insight cards were a valuable tool for the development of concrete solutions, further strategic considerations are needed. Thus, the study highlights the need for further research in effective communication strategies and systemic language to facilitate the translation of systemic insights into tangible business actions.@en