Beyond silos: An integrated sustainability hierarchy framework

Authors
Mengiajo Wang, Fredric Bauer, Joachim Peter Tilsted, and Neil Tangri

Abstract

To address the gap between global sustainability commitments and action, piecemeal solutions targeting singular impacts fall short. Interventions remain fragmented across sectors and frequently prioritize down stream remediation over upstream prevention. Emphasizing the pressing importance of moving toward more systemic approaches, this paper introduces an integrated sustainability hierarchy framework. Reviewing existing hierarchies on waste, climate change, biodiversity, and more, we provide a cross-domain com pass that transcends siloed debates and enables systematic development of policy agendas, impact-oriented financial portfolios, and assessment of interventions. Using the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty negotiations as an illustration, we demonstrate the value of the sustainability hierarchy for multi-dimensional sustainability challenges, going beyond existing domain-specific hierarchies. The framework contributes a practical and theoretically grounded tool for advancing systemic sustainability under conditions of accelerating socio-ecological risk and political backsliding.

Published: 2026