Having worked in some of the most crucial areas to do with climate change and the transition to net zero, Whole System Approach has had to continuously hone and focus it’s method of operation.

One of the biggest developments within this that has occurred is our adoption of a principle of circularity. With circular economies and the realms of sustainability and cross sector collaboration – areas where we have operated extensively – what circularity actually means and why it is necessary alongside a holistic view is a topic less often covered.

One of the greatest challenges to resilience today is the inefficient flow of resources – whether that is information, communications, power, money, or raw materials, goods, and supply chains. For example and too often, stakeholders are left with difficulties in distribution as well as excessive waste due to mismanagement. It is here that circularity as a concept comes into play – both at a purely practical level such as in basic principles of recycling within Green Buildings and Neighbourhoods (GBNs) as well as at a larger practical level with circular economies – but also at a more theoretical level. This can include within the management of projects, bridging the gaps between stakeholder needs and values, and ensuring efficient access to information.

The principle of circularity can be defined as feeding resources and information back into a system in order to achieve more efficient workflow and energy and resource usage. However, in order to do this it is here that a whole system approach is necessary – a holistic overview of the operations of all points of contact that resources must come into interaction with as well as how they operate both within themselves and with each other. Without this kind of approach – one that integrates the separate elements of a system – circularity is not possible as there will always be a weakest link that enables the efficient distribution of resources and information to break down.

The main principle we take at whole system approach is therefore not just to understand the individual components of your project, plan, or idea for development – instead, we undertake a comprehensive overview of all the possible interactions between them to ensure optimum circularity. This is Whole System Approach – and this is what it means and why it matters in an increasingly complex modern world.