Social Mobilizations are Transformative Forces for Sustainability

A new article co-authored by Fiona Gladstone, assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences, History and Criminal Justice at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Arun Agrawal, of the University of Notre Dame, underscores how grassroots social movements and protests are powerful and are often overlooked drivers of sustainability transformations and biodiversity conservation worldwide.

Published February 23, 2026, in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the piece comments on a major study by M. Walter and colleagues. That study draws on over 2,800 real-world environmental protests documented in the Environmental Justice Atlas to show how ordinary people—especially in poor and marginalized communities—are actively defending the lands, waters, and resources they depend on.

The findings reveal that these mobilizations frequently overlap with the planet’s most critical biodiversity hotspots. While many lead to progressive or moderate reforms, the movements face high levels of repression. Gladstone and Agrawal argue that social movements deserve far more attention in sustainability science, which has traditionally focused on government policies, technology, and big organizations.

“This focus on social movements and mobilizations is a welcome addition to a literature that has focused primarily on governance, government policies, technological innovations, private and public finance, and individual behaviors as instruments of transformative change, with attention to civil society mostly confined to large nonprofit organizations,” Gladstone and Agrawal write.

The article builds on Gladstone’s ongoing work exploring how human organization and power dynamics shape environmental outcomes. It calls for two key advances: deeper research into exactly how protests create lasting impact (the “cause-and-effect” mechanisms) and stronger connections between the disruptive power of movements and the stable governance structures needed to lock in gains.

“Yet, the relationship between mobilizations and governance is not simply antagonistic,” write the authors. “If mobilizations and social movements signify periods and mechanisms of disruption, the need for creating and consolidating new governance arrangements continues to exist after the protests and disruption end, especially if they end successfully.”

The authors emphasize that large datasets like the Environmental Justice Atlas open exciting new doors for understanding these dynamics at global scale, while still needing to be paired with in-depth, on-the-ground studies. They urge scientists to move beyond observation and actively support frontline environmental defenders who face real risks.

The significance of these insights reaches far beyond academic circles. As the world grapples with climate change and biodiversity loss, Gladstone and Agrawal argue that ignoring social mobilizations means missing one of the most promising pathways to a just and sustainable future.

This commentary adds to Gladstone’s growing body of research on how communities organize to respond to environmental pressures, reinforcing Fairleigh Dickinson University’s commitment to interdisciplinary work that bridges social justice and planetary health.