Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sascha Stark, Lisa Biber-Freudenberger, Thomas Dietz, Neus Escobar, Jan Janosch Foerster, James Henderson, Natalie Laibach, Jan Boerner
Summary: Countries worldwide are implementing bioeconomy strategies for sustainable transformation; research applies a system-level theory to analyze mechanisms and pathways of bio-based transformation; outcomes depend on governance and can generate positive or negative impacts, leading to key lessons for designing strategies for sustainable bioeconomies.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Veera Turku, Ari Jokinen, Pekka Jokinen
Summary: This research examines the micro-scale ignition of sustainability pathways in multi-actor collaboration in an urban living lab in Tampere, Finland. The results show that the emerging sustainability pathways are based on the coexistence of diverse actors and resources, develop through interconnected temporal phases of practices, and are differently sensitised to place depending on the temporal phase. The study also locates the generative moments of reconfigurations and highlights the cumulative nature of sustainability.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily Christley, Emrah Karakaya, Frauke Urban
Summary: This paper analyzes the transitions in the aviation industry in Sweden and examines the role of narratives as coordinating mechanisms in sustainability transitions. The study finds that industry actors construct narratives about alternative fuels and technologies to maintain the societal function of aviation while mitigating its climate impact. Narratives not only initiate transitions but also play a vital role in coordinating actors' transition activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuhao Ba, Christopher S. Galik
Summary: This study evaluates the impact of long-term industrial transitions on local sustainability actions. It examines the direction and magnitude of historical industrial transitions, as well as the planning, capabilities, and performance of local government sustainability actions. Through a national survey and historical manufacturing employment data in the U.S., the study finds that communities with significant fluctuations in manufacturing jobs are less likely to engage in sustainability planning, develop sustainability-related capabilities, and achieve sustainability goals, highlighting the challenges of top-down programs and the importance of decentralized solutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Edward Sparkes, Saskia E. Werners
Summary: In order for today's decisions to be sustainable, they must consider poverty reduction, livelihood improvement, climate change mitigation, and fairness towards vulnerable populations. Climate-resilient development pathways aim to achieve these goals by enabling decision-makers to identify, consolidate, and implement climate action and development decisions for sustainable development. However, there is currently limited evidence and guidance on how to navigate this practice in real-world situations.
CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Urban Studies
Thi Minh Phuong Nguyen, Kathryn Davidson
Summary: This paper investigates the institutionalisation of 100 Resilient Cities governance experiments in cities that lack a metropolitan government. It develops a novel analytical framework that builds upon the 'beyond experiments' literature and examines the role of urban governance context and transnational city networks. The study finds that institutionalisation occurs in cities lacking a metropolitan government by generating new changes in governance, but most changes are incremental and reformistic rather than transformational. The extent of institutionalisation is influenced by existing metropolitan governance conditions, internal conditions of governance experiments, and city networks to a limited extent.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tessa de Geus, Julia M. Wittmayer, Fenna Vogelzang
Summary: This article develops a legitimacy framework for understanding how transition management practices can be legitimised within liberal democratic structures while safeguarding their transformative potential. The framework is applied to a comparative analysis of six European cities and discusses the importance of liberal democratic norms, the fuzziness of participation practices, and the limitations of policy options.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Florian Kern, Frieder Schmelzle, Mervin Hummel
Summary: This paper aims to analyze the conflicting interests in Germany's hydrogen transition pathways and how policymakers can achieve a shared vision for sustainable development amidst competition.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Harm A. R. M. van den Heiligenberg, Gaston J. Heimeriks, Marko P. Hekkert, Rob P. J. M. Raven
Summary: The transfer of sustainability innovations requires consideration of local and regional conditions, with technological innovations being more easily diffused globally than social innovations. The transfer of innovations often involves translation rather than replication, and local cultural and institutional contexts play a significant role in enabling this transfer.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Auvikki de Boon, Camilla Sandstrom, David Christian Rose
Summary: This study explores the legitimacy of agricultural transitions from normative and sociological perspectives, highlighting the importance of clarity and diversity in design to enhance the perceived legitimacy of the transition. It emphasizes the significance of broad problem formulation, diverse mix of policy instruments, and a transparent decision-making process that includes meaningful and equal participation of stakeholders. The conclusion underscores the usefulness of a combined lens of normative and sociological legitimacy for critically evaluating the normative and power dimensions of transition processes.
Article
Environmental Studies
P. Halla, A. Merino-Saum, C. R. Binder
Summary: The concept of sustainability is gaining importance in local urban governance, and indicator-based assessments are being used to operationalize it. This article proposes an assessment approach that embeds indicators within their socio-political and institutional contexts to enhance its value for local governance. The approach is applied to the assessment of the housing system in Geneva, Switzerland, revealing critical issues and connecting them to ongoing controversies and stakeholders. The study demonstrates that this approach provides a richer understanding of the challenges and offers better support for local governance stakeholders.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paula Kivimaa
Summary: Historically, STI policy has been closely linked to national security and the military, but contemporary innovation policy often neglects the security context. This perspective argues that new, transformation-oriented innovation policies should explicitly consider the impact on global security and how the global security context affects transitions. The rapid shifts in the global security landscape further emphasize the need for this approach. Policymakers should proactively set criteria and evaluate the security implications of innovation and transitions, while also considering the positive uses and consequences of innovations and responding to geopolitical developments. Improved dialogue between innovation policymakers and other disciplines is crucial.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2022)
Article
Business
H. P. van Dokkum, A. M. C. Loeber, J. Grin
Summary: This paper examines the role of government in societal transformation by combining transition studies and governance studies. Through a case study of the termination of natural gas exploitation in the Netherlands, the analysis finds that government actors both consolidated dominant practices and strengthened issue-based coalitions. The discord between local and national strategies lead to inefficiency.
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Urban Studies
Tanya Zerbian, Ana Escario-Chust, Guillermo Palau-Salvador, Sergio Segura-Calero
Summary: This study explores how diverse governance actors mobilize and execute power within and between two urban food governance instruments in Valencia, Spain. It raises three critical points regarding the potential of urban food governance processes for sustainability transitions.
Article
Ecology
Julie Topf, Leonardo A. Schultz, Jose Maria Cardoso da Silva
Summary: One of the main goals of modern sustainability science is to generate knowledge that societies can use to move toward more sustainable development pathways. This paper proposes a new index (the Sustainable Development Pathway Index, SDPI) to assess such pathways. The index is tested by evaluating the development pathways of the municipalities in the Brazilian Amazon, and it shows that the region has distinct development pathways in response to economic activities and land transformations.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Siddharth Sareen
Summary: Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is rapidly growing globally, but its rollout is influenced by factors such as energy infrastructure, regulatory inertia, and political dynamics. The spatial distribution and scale of PV energy deployment are determined by the layering on existing electric grid infrastructure and the specific political context.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Siddharth Sareen, Havard Haarstad
Summary: The article argues for the importance of digitalization in environmental change and innovation, proposing three critical elements. Researchers need to focus on the widespread presence of digitalization, study it as a real social phenomenon on the ground, and analyze how it enables coordination across sectors.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Siddharth Sareen, Vicky Albert-Seifried, Laura Aelenei, Francesco Reda, Ghazal Etminan, Maria-Beatrice Andreucci, Michal Kuzmic, Nienke Maas, Oscar Seco, Paolo Civiero, Savis Gohari, Mari Hukkalainen, Hans-Martin Neumann
Summary: Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are an emerging energy transition paradigm that aims for rapid upscaling. The key challenge is achieving sustained and replicable diffusion in diverse socio-technical contexts. This requires addressing key questions, implementing fit-to-purpose solutions, avoiding undesirable outcomes, and promoting sharing and cooperation.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geography
Siddharth Sareen, Jakob Grandin, Havard Haarstad
Summary: This article discusses the process of renewable energy displacing fossil fuels, with a focus on the legitimacy issues and constraints posed by existing arrangements. Through an analysis of solar rollout and fossil phase-out in Portugal, it is found that although renewable energy has partially displaced fossil fuels, the persistence of fossil fuel geographies and sectoral institutional arrangements keeps the energy transition displacements at a spatial remove from citizens.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOGRAPHERS
(2022)
Article
Economics
Havard Haarstad, Siddharth Sareen, Jens Kandt, Lars Coenen, Matthew Cook
Summary: Automobility has caused significant environmental problems, and cities are now experimenting with innovations to move beyond this system. However, current modes of innovation may reproduce rather than reduce high-carbon automobility. This risk of continued failure is attributed to the structure of policy-led experimentation and innovation.
Article
Environmental Studies
S. Krupnik, A. Wagner, O. Vincent, T. J. Rudek, R. Wade, M. Misik, S. Akerboom, C. Foulds, K. Smith Stegen, C. Adem, S. Batel, F. Rabitz, C. Certoma, J. Chodkowska-Miszczuk, M. Denac, D. Dokupilova, M. D. Leiren, M. Frolova Ignatieva, D. Gabaldon-Estevan, A. Horta, P. Karnoe, J. Lilliestam, D. Loorbach, S. Muhlemeier, S. Nemoz, M. Nilsson, J. Osicka, L. Papamikrouli, L. Pellizioni, S. Sareen, M. Sarrica, G. Seyfang, B. Sovacool, A. Telesiene, V Zapletalova, T. von Wirth
Summary: This paper presents a novel approach to future research in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) on renewable energy sources by developing a set of 100 priority questions through interviews, workshops, and a horizon scanning process. The research identifies four main directions for future SSH research, including economic transformation, cultural diversity, energy governance, and value-based objectives. The findings contribute to enriching dialogues between policymakers, funding institutions, and researchers, emphasizing the intrinsic importance of SSH scholarship in renewable energy research.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
International Relations
Siddharth Sareen, Shayan Shokrgozar
Summary: This article focuses on the rollout of solar energy infrastructure in Rajasthan, India, and argues for considering the impact of energy development on marginalized inhabitants. The authors propose three concepts to guide contextualized analyses and advocate for just, publicly accountable transitions.
Article
Environmental Studies
Siddharth Sareen, Katinka Lund Waagsaether
Summary: Cities play important roles in global climate change responses, but traditional urban planning approaches are seen as inadequate for political change. This paper assesses the new municipalism as an alternative governance paradigm and finds that it offers inclusive and innovative policy pathways at the urban scale, but is constrained by neoliberal mechanisms.
Article
Economics
Devyn Remme, Siddharth Sareen, Havard Haarstad
Summary: Transitioning to sustainable mobility systems requires a combination of avoidance, shift, and improvement measures. This study examines the implementation of these approaches in the Norwegian city of Bergen and analyzes their interaction and impact on social inclusion. The findings suggest that urban electric automobility undermines avoidance and shift goals, while populist politics centered around automobility reinforce elite narratives and challenge the legitimacy of transition planners and policy makers. The study highlights the importance of depoliticizing car dependence reduction agendas in order to achieve socially inclusive mobility systems.
JOURNAL OF TRANSPORT GEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Studies
Ingmar Lippert, Siddharth Sareen
Summary: With the appearance of Green Deals and competitive techno-economic basis, the change in energy infrastructure is becoming more intense. However, it is important to consider how justice can be applied to the complex socio-technical changes in energy infrastructure. Our synthesis review argues that focusing on alleviating energy poverty can enable the policy-oriented mobilization of energy justice.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Luis Silva, Siddharth Sareen
Summary: Portugal, a nation with ambitious climate targets, has discovered lithium, which can give it leverage in the manufacturing for energy transitions. However, lithium extraction poses risks of environmental destruction, community displacement, and populist backlash. The determination of extraction sites has sparked public opposition and debate. This article analyzes the emergence of a lithium frontier in Portugal, examining the human geography, social anthropology, and the role of social movements in shaping the official political discourse.
EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Siddharth Sareen
Summary: This article explores the relationship between cross-sectoral metrics (CSM) and the twin transitions of digitalisation and decarbonisation in energy systems. It argues for the development of explicit cross-sectoral metrical analysis as an accountability tool for shifts to equitable, low-carbon energy systems. The study draws on calculative logics, institutionalisation, and degrees of digitalisation to propose a theory of transformative metrics and applies it to an empirical case study.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Geography
Siddharth Sareen, Jens Kaae Fisker, Shayan Shokrgozar, Thomas Sattich
NORSK GEOGRAFISK TIDSSKRIFT-NORWEGIAN JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Regional & Urban Planning
Siddharth Sareen, Jakob Grandin, Havard Haarstad
JOURNAL OF PLANNING LITERATURE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Siddharth Sareen
Summary: The urgent need to address the global climate challenge is driving efforts to decarbonize, with countries setting targets and technological innovation making renewable energy sources competitive. Governance puzzles dominate the research frontier as the techno-economic competitiveness shifts in favor of sources like solar energy. This article examines Portugal's ambitious sustainability metrics for solar rollout to enhance social equity, combining attention to accountability and legitimacy to offer an analytical framework for accountable energy transition.
ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING E-NATURE AND SPACE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily Christley, Emrah Karakaya, Frauke Urban
Summary: This paper analyzes the transitions in the aviation industry in Sweden and examines the role of narratives as coordinating mechanisms in sustainability transitions. The study finds that industry actors construct narratives about alternative fuels and technologies to maintain the societal function of aviation while mitigating its climate impact. Narratives not only initiate transitions but also play a vital role in coordinating actors' transition activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2024)
