Abstract
More pluralised understandings of incumbencies are often overlooked in transitions research, which may lead to underestimating the enabling roles of incumbents in niche projects. This study explores these roles by applying a power framework to five struggles revolving around a path-breaking decentralised wastewater treatment project in the city of Ghent (Belgium). Remarkably, incumbents from multiple regimes use power to enable the niche project. The study identifies and discusses four patterns in the enabling role of incumbents in niche projects. These patterns are clarified by focussing on incumbents from multiple regimes, belonging to local authorities, neighbouring and more distant regimes, as well as on the power of structural trends related to the urgency of sustainability challenges. As such, the study contributes to the understanding of multiple incumbencies and the conditions under which these may reinforce niche projects. For practitioners, the study underscores the role of power dynamics in the water/wastewater sector.
Highlights
Persistent environmental problems result from long-term, complex, unsustainable consumption and production patterns and require fundamental change in socio-technical systems that provide, for example, energy, food, transportation and water (Kohler et al, 2019)
As we want to use the framework as a tool to explore how incumbents use power to enable or restrict radical innovation, we draw from an established power framework from Grin (2010, 2012) and Avelino (2011, 2017) that builds on three manifestations of power which are generally distinguished in the literature on power (Arts and van Tatenhove, 2004)
In this study, pluralised understandings of incumbencies, especially the roles played and power used by incumbents in niche projects, were investigated
Summary
Persistent environmental problems result from long-term, complex, unsustainable consumption and production patterns and require fundamental change in socio-technical systems that provide, for example, energy, food, transportation and water (Kohler et al, 2019). Progress has been rather limited in achieving long-term sustainability objectives (EEA, 2019; UN Environment, 2019) because of vested interests and path-dependencies of existing infrastructure and current political-economic institutions. Incumbents ‘often have vested interests in maintaining the status quo rather than enabling transitions and will often act to strategically protect their privileged position’ This section introduces the case by describing Belgium’s locked-in wastewater regime and DuCoop’s pioneering project. The regional sewers and treatment plants are managed by the Flemish wastewater treatment company (Aquafin), whereas the Flemish Environment Agency oversees its economic and environmental performance. In Ghent, this responsibility is outsourced to the public-private drinking water utility (Farys)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
