A broader social science research agenda on sustainability: Nongovernmental influences on climate footprints

Abstract

Vandenbergh and Gilligan's book Beyond Politics and their essay in this issue open up a broad and under-explored agenda of research to inform efforts to limit climate change. They focused largely on understanding how companies and other non-governmental entities can be important agents of change. We sketch the implications non-governmental action for research as well as how such research can underpin action. A focus on opportunities across the life cycles of goods and services that provide for human needs and wants points to four key questions for research. We also note key challenges for social science research, including involving researchers from areas of social science that have been little involved previously in research on limiting climate change. We hope these arguments can contribute to a more robust and generalizable social science that can make greater contributions to limiting climate change. We encourage fellow social scientists to pursue the research questions we raise.