Have you ever tried to do the right thing, only to find that the process itself stood in the way? It’s probably a familiar feeling: a form that must be printed and scanned, a website that asks for the same information twice, a rule that’s meant to protect but mostly slows things down. Governments and businesses alike often create systems that make doing the right thing for our health, our families, or the environment feel harder than it should.

Last month, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from many countries gathered at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris to discuss how governments can simplify regulations so that rules protect people without overwhelming them. The topic sounds technical, yet it cuts to the heart of something very human. Behind every layer of red tape is a decision made by someone who thought it was a good idea.

Preparing for the OECD meeting reminded me that reforming systems is never just a technical exercise. It is psychological. People design systems, maintain them, and often resist changing them. To advance sustainable development, we have to understand how people function inside the institutions meant to serve them. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not only an economic, engineering, or political challenge but also a human one.

Psychological science helps explain why complexity builds. Simplifying can feel daunting. Some hesitate to eliminate a rule, a form, or a step in a process because they imagine the worst if it disappears. The desire to avoid loss and minimize risk can be powerful, even when the risks are minor and the losses unlikely. Leaders trying to protect their institutions from mistakes add reviews and approvals until caution becomes culture.

Psychology also helps explain how change can succeed. People are more willing to simplify or reform when the process feels safe, transparent, and reversible. Small, low-stakes trials show that change will not bring chaos. Early signs of success build confidence, and open communication helps reduce the fear of loss that keeps outdated rules in place. When people trust the process, they are more likely to support it, making simplification and reform sustainable rather than temporary. In that sense, psychology contributes directly to SDG 16, which calls for building institutions that are strong, accountable, and resilient.

The same dynamics influence progress on many of the other SDGs as well. Human tendencies that make institutions resistant to change can slow advances in transport, energy, education, health, and beyond. There is no single fix, but progress depends on insights from psychological science in all its diversity. Meaningful change requires collaboration across psychology specializations, bringing together complementary perspectives rather than working in silos.

The December 2025 issue of Applied Psychology Around the World showcases that diversity in action. Its articles, along with Carr’s (2025) editorial, highlight how psychologists across fields are applying their expertise to advance the SDGs through efforts that promote healthier people and environments, encourage sustainable transport choices, and inform global health governance. Together, these contributions demonstrate psychology’s capacity to understand and strengthen the behaviors that support both people and the planet.

In doing so, they illustrate the value of what I often call the sixth P of sustainable development: Psychology. The SDGs are organized around People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnerships. Psychology bridges global ideals with the everyday choices that bring them to life. The SDGs ask us to think big, and psychology reminds us to start small. It helps us see how people interpret rules, respond to incentives, and build habits that either reinforce or resist progress on a larger scale. When we pay attention to those details, we can design systems that are effective and humane.

Perhaps this is why psychology has become an essential part of sustainability discussions. Over the past fifteen years, I have watched our field move from the edges of global policy conversations to an increasingly central place within them. At international meetings, colleagues now discuss behavioral factors alongside economics and technology. Governments are creating behavioral science units, and universities are building programs that connect psychology with data science, public policy, and sustainability. These developments show that psychology’s contributions to the 2030 Agenda are both visible and valued.

Still, the work is unfinished. The next five years, the final stretch of the 2030 Agenda, will determine how much of this progress endures. The world already knows a lot about what should be done. The challenge now is applying that knowledge in ways that work for real people living in real systems. That means using insights from psychology’s diverse specialty areas to design programs and policies that take human nature into account, create regulations that are manageable, and build institutions that learn from and adapt to feedback.

Reference

Carr, S. C. (2025, December). Editorial: Inter-divisional partnerships for Sustainability. Applied Psychology Around the World, 7(3). ENTER URL