An agenda for sustainability transitions research: State of the art and future directions
Journal article, 2019
Research on sustainability transitions has expanded rapidly in the last ten years, diversified in terms of topics and geographical applications, and deepened with respect to theories and methods. This article provides an extensive review and an updated research agenda for the field, classified into nine main themes: understanding transitions; power, agency and politics; governing transitions; civil society, culture and social movements; businesses and industries; transitions in practice and everyday life; geography of transitions; ethical aspects; and methodologies. The review shows that the scope of sustainability transitions research has broadened and connections to established disciplines have grown stronger. At the same time, we see that the grand challenges related to sustainability remain unsolved, calling for continued efforts and an acceleration of ongoing transitions. Transition studies can play a key role in this regard by creating new perspectives, approaches and understanding and helping to move society in the direction of sustainability.
Transformation
Socio-technical systems
Research agenda
Sustainability
Transitions
Author
Jonathan Koehler
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
Frank W. Geels
University of Manchester
Florian Kern
Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW)
Jochen Markard
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH)
Elsie Onsongo
International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)
Anna Wieczorek
Eindhoven University of Technology
Floortje Alkemade
Eindhoven University of Technology
Flor Avelino
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Anna Bergek
Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Environmental Systems Analysis
Frank Boons
University of Manchester
Lea Funfschilling
Lund University
David Hess
Vanderbilt University
Georg Holtz
Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy
Sampsa Hyysalo
Aalto University
Kirsten Jenkins
University of Brighton
Paula Kivimaa
University of Sussex
Mari Martiskainen
University of Sussex
Andrew McMeekin
University of Manchester
Marie Susan Muehlemeier
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)
Bjorn Nykvist
Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
Bonno Pel
Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Rob Raven
Monash University
Harald Rohracher
Linköping University
Björn Sandén
Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Environmental Systems Analysis
Johan Schot
University of Sussex
Benjamin Sovacool
University of Sussex
Bruno Turnheim
University of Sussex
University of Manchester
University of Paris-Est
Dan Welch
University of Manchester
Peter Wells
Cardiff University
Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions
22104224 (eISSN)
Vol. 31 1-32Subject Categories
History of Ideas
Social Anthropology
History
DOI
10.1016/j.eist.2019.01.004