Sustainability Transition Studies Research Articles

Agile by accident: how to apply Agile principles in academic research projects

Sustainability science and sustainability transition studies are interdisciplinary fields. Interdisciplinarity is understood to support out-of-the-box thinking and thus facilitate scientific advancements. Interdisciplinary research projects dealing with complex issues might need project management approaches that support learning, adaptation, and innovation. Agile is a management approach that has been developed to facilitate collaboration, learning, creativity, innovation, and reflectivity. Due to these qualities, Agile might be a suitable approach to managing interdisciplinary research projects. Agile project management is still new in academic research settings. Only limited information about how to apply it in an academic setting exists. To fill this gap the Agile principles are translated to fit the academic context. The article then outlines how Agile principles can be applied to an academic research program, that did not consciously plan to apply this approach. The translation of the principles will permit other researchers to intentionally use them in their interdisciplinary research projects. Furthermore, other researchers can build on the insights provided in this article to overcome the challenges that Agile can bring.

Digital innovation's contribution to sustainability transitions

Digital innovation is increasingly mentioned as a potential key contributor to sustainability transitions. However, there has been little theoretical discussion of this topic. In this conceptual paper, the authors draw on literature on both sustainability transition studies and innovation studies to explore critically the contribution of digital innovation in sustainability transitions. They conceptualize transitions as fundamental changes in patterns of production and consumption, such as those relating to energy. Radical innovation leads to changes in the structure of socio-technical systems underlying such patterns, while incremental innovation contributes to maintaining the structure and current patterns. The authors suggest that digital innovations may contribute positively to sustainability transitions through couplings with sustainable innovations. They propose the following typology of such couplings: incremental twin innovations, sustainability supported digital innovations, digitally supported sustainable innovations, and radical twin innovations. Radical twin innovations may possess the greatest potential for sustainability transitions, as they are linked to structural change and thus open new pathways for sustainability transitions, whereas incremental twin innovations merely optimize current unsustainable systems. The typology is illustrated with examples from shipping and from electricity systems, and some of the complexities of twin transitions encountered by researchers and practitioners alike are discussed.

Making sense of power through transdisciplinary sustainability research: insights from a Transformative Power Lab

If transdisciplinary sustainability research is to contribute to sustainability transitions, issues of power dynamics need to be understood and accounted for. However, examples of concrete methods that put this into practice are sparse. This paper presents a conceptual and methodological framework that develops a better understanding of the power phenomenon, while providing actionable knowledge. By focussing on the context of social innovation in energy transitions, we demonstrate how different theoretical conceptualisations of power can be translated into a collaborative, transdisciplinary research design. In a facilitated process, researchers, policy workers and practitioners from diverse social innovation fields developed and tested the Transformative Power Lab approach and co-wrote a ‘Power Guide’ as a strategic exploration of power dynamics in sustainability transitions, specifically regarding social innovation in energy transitions. Based on the insights that emerged during this process, we discuss how transdisciplinary and action-oriented approaches in sustainability transition studies might benefit from this approach and, potentially, develop it further.

Gender in sustainability transition studies: Concepts, blind spots and future orientations

Gender is a vital factor of societal organisation and transformation, and figures prominently in global sustainability agendas. Its social construction and interaction with technological change have been studied extensively. Within the field of sustainability transition (ST) research, however, the complex roles gender plays in socio-technical change are still rarely addressed or conceptualised. Based on a systematic review covering scientific publications from 2010 to 2020 we illustrate this overall gap and explore how gender is operationalised. We draw on Harding's notion of gender as structural, symbolic and behavioural expression to consider implications for understanding regimes, niches, and regime/niche interactions. Our results recognise a variety of conceptual approaches accounting for the diverse implications of gender relations for transition dynamics and their sustainability orientation. In conclusion we recognise the usefulness of the suggested analytical lens for strengthening gender-sensitive inter- and transdisciplinary ST research systematically, and suggest promising avenues for future studies.

Collective memories, place-framing and the politics of imaginary futures in sustainability transitions and transformation

A geographical perspective is crucial to understanding sustainability transitions and transformation, but previous research on place framing in sustainability transitions and transformation has had a marked focus on the politics of the future and its performativity in the present. This paper analyzes place-framing in sustainability transitions and transformation by examining how the conflicting collective memories of a place and the framings of the future of this place interact and lead to the justification of particular forms of socio-material development, land use and sustainability of the peri-urban spaces of the city of Sogamoso, Colombia. Based on 38 semi-structured interviews, we identify three distinct assemblages of future visions, collective memories and place frames, which we call urban development, recovering tradition, and cultural revitalization. The analysis shows that place framing is an exercise through which collective memories and future visions are connected and co-constituted in a spatio-temporal ‘dialogue’: collective memories, future visions and place frames are processes of social construction activated in the attempt to shape or contest sustainability transitions and transformation. We contend that the existence and mobilization of collective memories—and their critical influence on future visions—are a core aspect of the politics of place framing fundamental to the socio-material processes of sustainability transitions and transformation. Furthermore, a politics of place-making in sustainability transitions and transformation involves acknowledging and negotiating collective memories of the past as much as future visions. This suggests ways to critically counterbalance the marked future orientation taken in recent years by sustainability science and transition studies.

Architectural Practice Supporting Sustainability Transitions in the Built Environment

Transitions towards sustainability are urgently needed to address the environmental and societal challenges on a global scale. This article applies concepts used in sustainability transition studies – niches and transition experiments – to architectural practice. A tentative evaluative scheme developed by Luederitz et al [1] is used in this article to analyse how transition experiments in architectural practice can be designed and performed to support sustainability transitions in the built environment. Three practice-led transition experiments addressing resource efficiency and frugality, reuse of materials, user involvement in design, self-building, etc. are analysed. The article concludes by discussing implications of using a transition experiment approach in architectural practice.

Societal transformation through the prism of the concept of territoire: A French contribution

Driven by the need for radical change in our practices and values to escape crises, studies on sustainability transitions have multiplied in recent years. Such radical transformations are situated in space. A spatial approach towards transformative processes can thus inform about the conditions and contexts of such dynamics. Recent publications on the geography of transition tackle this issue but still give little importance to the constructed and relational nature of place that frames interactions between niche, regime and landscape. This paper presents a conceptual framework for the spatial analysis of transformation dynamics by adopting the French-speaking literature on territoire. We attempt to show that the conceptualisation of space through the French territorial lens appears highly relevant in the study of sustainability transitions, notably because the concept of territoire allows to grasp three fundamental dimensions of transformation (the material, institutional and ideal dimension) and their interactions. It thus enables studying transformation dynamics in a systemic manner. Furthermore, this concept allows researchers to grasp multiple and intertwined power relationships involved in transformation processes by tackling governance issues through the spatial lens.

Exploring the possibilities for deliberately cultivating more effective ecologies of intermediation

Sustainability transition studies acknowledge the importance of ecologies of intermediation for the acceleration of sustainability transitions and their governance. Although some pioneering studies have already focused on analyzing these ecologies, further research is needed to understand the challenges of deliberately establishing ecologies in terms of processes and activities. To advance in this direction, this paper identifies three challenges based in empirical analysis of an initiative called “El Día Después”. Through the case study, we analyze the challenges of: (a) enabling collaboration within the ecology and managing competition, (b) the dynamic context in which intermediation activities take place and (c) the composition of intermediaries in an ecology as the transition evolves. These challenges - and their relational positions between intermediaries, actors, networks and institutions - suggests a level of systemic intermediation additional to concepts in the literature currently. An additional role for intermediation is thus identified, namely, ecology intermediation.

Connecting the multi-level-perspective and social practice approach for sustainable transitions

The increasing sense of urgency to transition to sustainable modes of consumption and production requires an understanding of social problem framings and processes of change. We examine how two conceptual frameworks, the Multi-level Perspective (MLP), a socio-technical transition theory, and Social Practice Approaches (SPA), contribute to understanding opportunities for social change. We share the results of a systematic literature review that seeks a better understanding of how these two approaches are co-employed. We first present quantifiable results from an analysis of 118 publications; we then focus on a qualitative analysis to investigate conceptual complementarities while recognizing their ontological differences. We find further entry points where the two approaches can be fruitfully combined, such as the study of vulnerable proto-practices, research on informal regimes, and the development of landscape- and supra-practice-level meanings. We conclude with recommendations on how to further operationalize the co-employment of MLP and SPA in sustainability transition studies.

Responsibilities for just transition to low-carbon societies: a role-based framework

ABSTRACT Low-carbon transitions in industrialised societies will have significant social, economic and environmental impacts, raising concerns of justice. Calls for urgent transitions evoke a question about the roles of different actors in advancing transitions and ensuring they are just. While the responsibilities for emission mitigation have been long discussed, responsibilities for making a just transition have not. The question about responsibilities is particularly pressing because of the diverse constellation of actors involved in climate action, including diverse forms of non-state actors from city-level and business alliances to grassroots activists. We examine the responsibilities of state and non-state actors in the decarbonisation process, asking: what role do different actors play regarding the justice impacts of climate action? We combine sustainability transition studies and political philosophy on roles and responsibilities to create a role-based framework for just transition-related responsibilities of different actors at different spatial scales.

Possibilities for changing to resource recovery in Kampala's on-site sanitation regime

Pressure is growing to develop innovative decentralized sanitation systems that protect public health and recover resources. This study evaluates the opportunities for niche technologies focusing on nutrient resource recovery to enter the market in Greater Kampala, Uganda. It applies methodology from sustainability transition studies in a novel way to provide new insights into possibilities for change in the on-site sanitation sector. The study 1) characterizes the existing socio-technical regime for on-site sanitation, 2) identify stress points in the regime and 3) possible advantages for the niches. Assessment of the regime covers technology, epistemic practice, sector values, organisational modes, policy and financing. The niches include urine diversion toilets, on-site resource recovery, and container-based models. The on-site sanitation regime is under performing and the niches all offer advantages for improved service and resource use. However, it will be difficult for the niches to break into a sector in which epistemic practice, organisational modes and financing are heavily dominated by the sewage regime. Recommendations for creating a more open environment for innovation are provided for specific stakeholders.

Beyond food for thought – Directing sustainability transitions research to address fundamental change in agri-food systems

Dominant agricultural and food systems lead to continuous resource depletion and unacceptable environmental and social impacts. While current calls for changing agrifood systems are increasingly framed in the context of sustainability transitions, they rarely make an explicit link to transition studies to address these systemic challenges, nor do transition scholars sufficiently address agri-food systems, despite their global pertinence. From this viewpoint, we illustrate several gaps in the agri-food systems debate that sustainability transition studies could engage in. We propose four avenues for research in the next decade of transition research on agri-food systems: 1) Crossscale dynamics between coupled systems; 2) Social justice, equity and inclusion; 3) Sustainability transitions in low- and middle-income countries; 4) Cross-sectoral governance and system integration. We call for a decade of new transition research that moves beyond single-scale and sector perspectives toward more inclusive and integrated analyses of food system dynamics.

A framework for understanding the key drivers of cities' climate actions in city networks

Due to the complexity of environmental city networks, the incentives of climate actions in these networks are unclear. Despite their rise, the literature is yet to fully engage with this complexity, as siloed disciplinary focuses on specific aspects of climate actions in city networks are far behind explaining the reality of these networks. Since there is a dispersed understanding of climate actions in city networks across different fields of research, we adopt an interdisciplinary approach to identify the key drivers of climate actions in city networks. Urban studies' focus is on networking and the political economy behind it. On the other hand, sustainability transition studies has provided an in-depth understanding of the socio-cultural context, and scholars in environmental science illuminate the environmental context of cities. By synthesizing these three fields, this paper proposes a framework that ensures a comprehensive understanding of drivers of climate actions in city networks. It consists of thirteen attributes under four themes of networking context, political economy, socio-cultural context, and environmental context. The framework's utility is identifying the limitations of studies and a comprehensive comparison of cities to unpack the drivers of climate actions in city networks to encourage networking.

Social enterprises towards a sustainable business system: A model of institutional dynamics

Despite the growing interest of sustainability transition studies on the role of business actors in shaping transitions, the institutionalized logic of the capitalist enterprise underlying such agency has been overlooked. However, such logic might be understood as a dominant regime that leads to unsustainable systems.We intend to contribute to transitions research by focusing on the agency of social enterprises as non-dominant actors searching for challenging and transforming the institutionalized logics in the business system. Therefore, we disentangle the institutional mechanisms driven by social enterprises by proposing a theoretical model built upon a literature review of sustainability transitions from institutional perspectives, offering a set of explanatory propositions to allow empirical examination. Those mechanisms and propositions operate at three levels: inside the individual, inside the niche, and at the interplay between the niche and the business regime. Finally, we include a real-world example of a social enterprise to illustrate the model.

A participatory systems mapping approach for sustainability transitions: Insights from an experience in the tourism sector in Portugal

The use of participatory modelling approaches in sustainability transition studies has been limited despite its potential contributions to transitions research. In this article, a methodological framework was designed based on a Participatory Systems Mapping (PSM) approach to structure and frame sustainability problems in transition management processes. The framework comprises three phases: 1) transition framing and actor selection, 2) PSM transition workshop, and 3) synthesis and evaluation. In a case study of the Portuguese tourism sector, participants created a shared systems view of tourism sustainability issues, based on the development of causal loop diagrams. Transition concepts, such as landscape-regime and niche-regime interactions, are specified in the diagrams. The PSM approach also provided a collaborative platform for co-creation of shared sustainability visions, thus fostering formalisation of a broad roadmap for desired transition pathways.

Multilevel-growth modelling for the study of sustainability transitions

Sustainability Transitions (ST) is a complex phenomenon, encompassing environmental, societal and economic aspects. Its study requires a proper investigation, with the identification of a robust indicator and the definition of a suitable method of analysis. To identify the most informative geographical boundaries for analysing ST pathways, we consider the Carbon Emission Intensity (CEI) and estimate a four-level growth model to study its pattern over time for all the EU regions. We apply this model to a novel longitudinal dataset that covers CEI data of European regions at four different geographical scales (state, areas, regions, and provinces) over a nine-year timespan. This approach aims at supporting the decision-makers in developing more effective sustainability transitions policies across Europe, especially focusing on regions and overcoming the well-known “one-size fits all” approach.•The unconditional growth model has been applied to a multi-level structure considering four levels, defined by three geographical scales and time.•The ideal structure of the model would have required five levels, but the sample size of the dataset made the application computationally unfeasible;•The application of the model allowed to identify patterns of stability and change over time of the variable amongst different geographical units.

Moving beyond disruptive innovation: A review of disruption in sustainability transitions

Because of the urgency of accelerating transitions, we examine the emerging understanding of the concept of ‘disruption’ in the context of sustainability transition studies to critically assess its value, pitfalls and potentials. By conducting a qualitative systematic review of 47 articles, we analyse how disruption is seen in this literature and what is being disrupted. We identify four non-technical dimensions of disruption, adding ‘behaviour, practices and cultural models’ to previously suggested dimensions, i.e., markets and business models, regulations and policy, and actors and networks. We summarise what the literature identifies as disruption in transitions and draw on other literatures (e.g. social practice theory and institutional theory) to elaborate the dimensions of disruption. We provide a new definition of disruption in sociotechnical transitions, with focus on both speed and magnitude of change. We end by highlighting the importance of disruptive practices and low-tech solutions alongside disruptive technologies and policies.

Exploring the role of learning in sustainability transitions: a case study using a novel analytical approach

Based on an exploratory case study of a community food waste initiative in Gothenburg, Sweden, this article presents a novel analytical approach to studying the role of learning within sustainability transition niches. The article’s theoretical perspective draws from pragmatist educational philosophy, practice theory, and sustainability transition studies. Proceeding from this theoretical perspective, a two-stage empirical analysis is conducted using dramaturgical analysis and practical epistemology analysis, methods from sociology and the educational sciences. Building on this analysis, the article introduces the concept of educative practices, through which it is argued that a role of learning at the niche level within sustainability transitions is to interrupt the reproduction of norms and attitudes within socio-technical systems. The article thus offers original analytical and conceptual tools for investigating sustainability transitions in relation to learning.

Uncovering regime resistance in energy transition: Role of electricity iron triangle in Taiwan

AbstractUsing electricity sector reform as a case study, this paper analyses the energy policy making in Taiwan, by applying the theoretical concept of regime resistance and an electricity iron triangle, aiming to elucidate analytical challenges that sustainability transition studies are facing in East Asia. While most such studies focus on the critical role of industrial incumbents, this paper shifts attention to the resistance of the “electricity iron triangle” of the ruling party, the utility workers' union and anti‐nuclear groups to fundamental transformation. It draws upon secondary data and primary information from interviews, especially governmental officials, environmental groups, journalists, electric utilities and Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) union members. This research contributes to the wider debates on regime resistance towards the phase‐out of nuclear power and on the effectiveness of electricity liberalisation as a means to achieve an effective energy transition.

Ecospirituality and sustainability transitions: agency towards degrowth

ABSTRACT‘Sustainability transitions’ has emerged as one of the most important and influential literatures on understanding the pathways towards a more sustainable future. Yet, most approaches in this literature privilege technological and regime-wide innovations, while people’s agencies, grassroots innovations, and social factors more generally are often underrepresented. This article focuses on the role of ecospirituality as worldview, aiming to understand how spiritual and religious beliefs play an important role in practical, everyday sustainability transitions. In an extensive desk-based study, literature across disciplines is reviewed to explore connections between spirituality, pro-environmental behaviour, climate policy, and sustainability agencies. Showing the importance of ecospiritual practice, the purpose of this article is to make a case for the inclusion of ecospirituality, as worldview, in the study of sustainability transitions. We argue that ecospirituality is a significant dimension to understanding people’s contemporary agencies that shift away from endless economic growth and resource efficiency mantras towards more radical worldviews of degrowth and different ways of achieving happiness and fulfilment in life.