NATURE COMMUNICATIONS - Promoting sustainable development worldwide in the metacoupled Anthropocene
DOWNLOADFebruary 2, 2026 - Qutu Jiang, Zhenci Xu, Nishan Bhattarai, Yinyi Lin, Huijuan Xiao, Jingzheng Ren, Markus Pahlow, Zhimeng Jiang, Yali Liu, Xutong Wu, Guanqiong Ye, Hongsheng Zhang, Jinbao Li, Peng Zhu, Shunlin Liang, Yuanzheng Cui, Chuan Liao, Liang Dong & Jianguo Liu
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Emailhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68653-4
Abstract
Promoting sustainable development worldwide requires collaborative efforts across interconnected systems under integrated frameworks. Here, we illustrate the integrated metacoupling framework as a holistic lens for analyzing human-nature interactions within and between systems to advance integrated sustainability analysis. We propose six interrelated steps to operationalize the framework for Sustainable Development Goals’ interaction analysis, progress assessment, and pathway modeling, contributing to the integration of knowledge for the 2030 Agenda and emphasizing “Leave No One Behind”. We demonstrate that the framework offers interdisciplinary researchers a practical toolkit and supports policymakers in developing synergistic cross-system strategies for sustainable development across local to global scales.
