Equity and modeling in sustainability science: Examples and opportunities throughout the process. Giang, A., Edwards, M. R., Fletcher, S. M., Gardner-Frolick, R., Gryba, R., Mathias, J., Venier-Cambron, C., Anderies, J. M., Berglund, E., Carley, S., Erickson, J. S., Grubert, E., Hadjimichael, A., Hill, J., Mayfield, E., Nock, D., Pikok, K. K., Saari, R. K., Samudio Lezcano, M., Siddiqi, A., Skerker, J. B., & Tessum, C. W. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(13):e2215688121, March, 2024.
Equity and modeling in sustainability science: Examples and opportunities throughout the process [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Equity is core to sustainability, but current interventions to enhance sustainability often fall short in adequately addressing this linkage. Models are important tools for informing action, and their development and use present opportunities to center equity in process and outcomes. This Perspective highlights progress in integrating equity into systems modeling in sustainability science, as well as key challenges, tensions, and future directions. We present a conceptual framework for equity in systems modeling, focused on its distributional, procedural, and recognitional dimensions. We discuss examples of how modelers engage with these different dimensions throughout the modeling process and from across a range of modeling approaches and topics, including water resources, energy systems, air quality, and conservation. Synthesizing across these examples, we identify significant advances in enhancing procedural and recognitional equity by reframing models as tools to explore pluralism in worldviews and knowledge systems; enabling models to better represent distributional inequity through new computational techniques and data sources; investigating the dynamics that can drive inequities by linking different modeling approaches; and developing more nuanced metrics for assessing equity outcomes. We also identify important future directions, such as an increased focus on using models to identify pathways to transform underlying conditions that lead to inequities and move toward desired futures. By looking at examples across the diverse fields within sustainability science, we argue that there are valuable opportunities for mutual learning on how to use models more effectively as tools to support sustainable and equitable futures.
@article{giang_equity_2024,
	title = {Equity and modeling in sustainability science: {Examples} and opportunities throughout the process},
	volume = {121},
	shorttitle = {Equity and modeling in sustainability science},
	url = {https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2215688121},
	doi = {10.1073/pnas.2215688121},
	abstract = {Equity is core to sustainability, but current interventions to enhance sustainability often fall short in adequately addressing this linkage. Models are important tools for informing action, and their development and use present opportunities to center equity in process and outcomes. This Perspective highlights progress in integrating equity into systems modeling in sustainability science, as well as key challenges, tensions, and future directions. We present a conceptual framework for equity in systems modeling, focused on its distributional, procedural, and recognitional dimensions. We discuss examples of how modelers engage with these different dimensions throughout the modeling process and from across a range of modeling approaches and topics, including water resources, energy systems, air quality, and conservation. Synthesizing across these examples, we identify significant advances in enhancing procedural and recognitional equity by reframing models as tools to explore pluralism in worldviews and knowledge systems; enabling models to better represent distributional inequity through new computational techniques and data sources; investigating the dynamics that can drive inequities by linking different modeling approaches; and developing more nuanced metrics for assessing equity outcomes. We also identify important future directions, such as an increased focus on using models to identify pathways to transform underlying conditions that lead to inequities and move toward desired futures. By looking at examples across the diverse fields within sustainability science, we argue that there are valuable opportunities for mutual learning on how to use models more effectively as tools to support sustainable and equitable futures.},
	number = {13},
	urldate = {2024-03-27},
	journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},
	author = {Giang, Amanda and Edwards, Morgan R. and Fletcher, Sarah M. and Gardner-Frolick, Rivkah and Gryba, Rowenna and Mathias, Jean-Denis and Venier-Cambron, Camille and Anderies, John M. and Berglund, Emily and Carley, Sanya and Erickson, Jacob Shimkus and Grubert, Emily and Hadjimichael, Antonia and Hill, Jason and Mayfield, Erin and Nock, Destenie and Pikok, Kimberly Kivvaq and Saari, Rebecca K. and Samudio Lezcano, Mateo and Siddiqi, Afreen and Skerker, Jennifer B. and Tessum, Christopher W.},
	month = mar,
	year = {2024},
	pages = {e2215688121},
}

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