One major societal issue in our time is regarding the creation of a sustainable society. Both international intergovernmental organizations such as the UN and EU, as well as nations, have goals that include climate neutrality and descriptions of measures for implementing societal transformations. This study aims to describe and analyse how textbooks in social studies portray the phenomenon of societal transformation, both based on the premise that a transformation is currently underway, and how past transformations are used for future guidance. The study applies an idea-analytical method by using systems theory, historical institutionalism, and historical consciousness. This, to conceptualize the textbooks' respective representations of societal transformations, from both contemporary and historical perspectives. The results show both similarities and differences regarding the textbooks' relationship to the phenomenon of societal transformation. Significant differences are found regarding the factors of speed and scale; only two of the five textbooks studied can be interpreted as closely aligned with the goals set by the UN, EU, and Sweden as a nation. The textbooks' use of historical perspectives demonstrates clear differences, as well as the types of measures presented and their impact on the societal system. Thus, there are inconsistencies regarding the depiction of society and its future, as well as the depiction arising from the empirical material