{"title":"The comparative political economy of sustainability transitions: Varying obstacles, accelerants and power in national capitalisms","authors":"Dan Bailey","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100853","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100853","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sustainability Transition Research (STR) has increasingly recognised the importance of capitalism and the capitalist state in constraining and accelerating the adoption of low-carbon innovations, but has engaged far less with the distinctive forms of national capitalisms. This article highlights the relevant insights of comparative political economy (CPE) that provide a fuller comprehension of the capitalist diversity shaping contemporary sustainability transitions. Specifically, it calls for greater attention to be awarded to the idiosyncratic supply and demand dynamics relating to national growth models, interest coalitions and institutional coordination, and historically-constituted political tendencies of governance. Through these insights, it is argued, the complexities of instigating industrial decarbonisation though the effective application of low-carbon technologies and the geographic asymmetries of transition can be better understood. The importance of these insights is outlined theoretically and demonstrated empirically through an examination of the varying strategic and institutional dynamics characterising sustainability transitions in the contemporary global economy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100853"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422424000443/pdfft?md5=bd67373d9ae8a76d5c500d5ffc7c5119&pid=1-s2.0-S2210422424000443-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140843382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking the geography of sustainability transitions by considering human-nature connections in rural areas","authors":"Vincent Vindevoghel","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100851","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100851","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Despite recent studies which emphasize the importance of human-nature connections (HNCs) in sustainability transitions, the literature on the geography of sustainability transitions focuses mainly on urban areas and transnational aspects, ignoring the role of HNCs. In this paper, we study HNCs in rural areas through a case study of the French mountains. Based on 31 interviews with local actors, the results show that individuals’ proximity to nature in the French mountains enables them to reconnect with nature and that this generates knowledge and leads to strong HNCs. The results also call for investigation of the roles that tourism and revised local governance could play in fostering sustainability transitions. Overall, this paper demonstrates the need for studies on the geography of sustainability transitions to consider HNCs and rural areas.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100851"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221042242400042X/pdfft?md5=2be2806e68058ae6e8f8633d52392e65&pid=1-s2.0-S221042242400042X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140823964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identifying social tipping point through perceived peer effect","authors":"Yuan Peng, Xuemei Bai","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100847","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100847","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>While recent research has advanced our conceptual understanding of social tipping points, empirical studies are called for to support and advance the theories. Here, we present a conceptual method to identify whether a tipping point exists and its possible location, in terms of peer effects on green technology adoption. This conceptualization is tested using Shanghai's adoption of electric vehicles. By analyzing self-reported individual levels of threshold in 1,111 valid completes through an online survey, we estimate that the perceived social tipping point in Shanghai falls between 31 and 40 % of peers adopting EVs. Beyond this level, a self-sustaining uptake can be anticipated. Mediation analysis reveals that peer learning and conformity to social norms underpin such peer effects. We discuss the relative importance of peer effects in triggering a broader transition, and find that other factors, such as technology, infrastructure, and policies, are critical for creating an enabling environment to induce positive cascades.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100847"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422424000388/pdfft?md5=4e6cf8be5265701e2ff5110440597303&pid=1-s2.0-S2210422424000388-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140816585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrea Käsbohrer , Teis Hansen , Hans-Martin Zademach
{"title":"Multi-system interactions and institutional work: Actor interactions at the interface of residential storage systems and electric vehicles in Germany","authors":"Andrea Käsbohrer , Teis Hansen , Hans-Martin Zademach","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100844","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100844","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Multi-system interactions are receiving increasing attention within transition research. However, understanding the consequences of increasing couplings between adjacent systems for transitions requires further research. In response, this paper applies the concept of institutional work to understand the role of actors creating institutional couplings for the reconfiguration of multiple systems. We further elaborate on enabling conditions for institutional work from a sector-sensitive perspective. In-depth interviews with energy and automobile sector experts and participant observation at industry association events show that cross-sectoral networks and advocacy are important mechanisms for creating regulative couplings. However, particularly actors in the automotive industry are able to advance into the electricity market due to increasing access to political institutions and enhanced intellectual and physical-material resources. Thus, we show how within-system incumbents leverage their resources and engage in cross-sectoral institutional work in order to gain knowledge and integrate new technologies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100844"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422424000352/pdfft?md5=4e30b450ed9a1e212b855a1045b50266&pid=1-s2.0-S2210422424000352-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140651047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Johnn Andersson , Thomas Taro Lennerfors , Helena Fornstedt
{"title":"Towards a socio-techno-ecological approach to sustainability transitions","authors":"Johnn Andersson , Thomas Taro Lennerfors , Helena Fornstedt","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100846","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100846","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The literature on sustainability transitions departs from the idea that social and environmental problems call for transformative change but employs socio-technical frameworks that treat nature as a passive context. In this paper, we argue that transitions research should adopt a socio-techno-ecological approach that accounts better for ecological elements. To take steps in this direction, we review adjacent literature that engages with socio-ecological and socio-techno-ecological systems concepts. Based on insights from this literature, we discuss emerging topics for the development of a socio-techno-ecological transitions framework. Our contribution paves the way for further theoretical development and empirical validation by motivating, contextualizing and sketching a roadmap towards a more comprehensive approach to transitions research.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100846"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422424000376/pdfft?md5=ad06b34461383e2dfbc9d9de0e44a6ef&pid=1-s2.0-S2210422424000376-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140622004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Power in urban logistics: A comparative analysis of networks and policymaking in logistics sustainability governance","authors":"Subina Shrestha, Håvard Haarstad, Rafael Rosales","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100845","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100845","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This article unpacks the power relations in urban logistics to understand why cities follow different policy pathways to sustainability. Drawing on the literature on power in sustainability transitions, we investigate key actors’ framings of sustainability in urban logistics and assess how they leverage their positions to pursue their framing of sustainability. We utilize a mixed-method approach, with a quantitative social network analysis and semi-structured interviews, to examine urban logistics governance in three Norwegian cities – Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim. Our findings challenge the implicit understanding that private actors are the most powerful actors in urban logistics governance. Local authorities, we find, can strategically leverage their <em>dispositional</em> and <em>relational</em> power to prioritize their preferred framing of sustainability, which is based on compact and climate-neutral cities. However, they seek technical-rational interventions in collaboration with private actors, typically in the form of electrification of vehicles, while logistics remains an afterthought in general urban planning.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100845"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422424000364/pdfft?md5=f9b5a5767a2984dc3e54bbde581bd691&pid=1-s2.0-S2210422424000364-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140618915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gloria Wenting Luo , Viktória Döme , Weronika Cycak , Kira JM Matus
{"title":"Innovation policy for sustainability transitions in small economies: Energy technology innovation in Hong Kong","authors":"Gloria Wenting Luo , Viktória Döme , Weronika Cycak , Kira JM Matus","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100841","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100841","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this paper, we analyzed Hong Kong's sustainable energy transitions innovation policy, and compared it to the policies in 11 small, high-income jurisdictions. To do this, we identified 696 innovation interventions implemented between 2008 and 2020. We classified them into 42 types of policy instruments. Then we visualized the policy mixes of the jurisdictions with the assistance of correspondence analysis methods. The results suggest that Hong Kong's overall policy mix heavily relies on overarching policy strategies to guide research and demand side policies to support energy technology adoption. However, Hong Kong's support for research and development of domestic clean energy technologies to overcome the so-called “valley of death”, a critical gap between public and private support, remains limited. This contrasts with the policy mixes of more innovative peer jurisdictions, which provide R&D funding and business support targeted at encouraging clean energy technologies and facilitating connections across the innovation system.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100841"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140552672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Accelerating the sustainability transition of brown regions: Unlocking the speed factor","authors":"Stefano Basilico , Nils Grashof","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100840","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100840","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Green innovations aim to improve and reduce the environmental impact of economic activities. Thus far, research focus on the positive trajectories of green transition. Continuing in this direction we focus on brown regions (i.e. specialized in fossil-fuel technologies) and the challenges that they face to become sustainable. Taking as example German Labour Market Regions we identify brown regions and measure their transition using an innovative approach based on Social Network Analysis and Knowledge Spaces. We find that the technological relatedness to green technologies, having a high life satisfaction in the region and the presence of the green party in the local government facilitate the transition. However, strong economic structures based on brown activities do not generally increase the transition speed. Our findings imply that technological and socio-economic characteristics influence the speed of transition, a dimension not yet accounted for in the sustainability transition literature.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100840"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422424000315/pdfft?md5=18cc56c32790886a95d3d6c350b99ccc&pid=1-s2.0-S2210422424000315-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140542202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexander Nordt, Rob Raven, Shirin Malekpour, Darren Sharp
{"title":"Decarbonising industry supply chains: Incumbent-oriented transition intermediation for industry energy transition","authors":"Alexander Nordt, Rob Raven, Shirin Malekpour, Darren Sharp","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100843","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100843","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sustainability transitions literature has insufficiently explored the potentially constructive role of industry incumbents and transition intermediaries that cooperate with incumbents for industry energy transition. This study elaborates on transition intermediary functions by building on evidence from sectors where decarbonisation faces severe structural challenges and incumbency. An examination of the Australian Industry Energy Transitions Initiative suggests that transition intermediaries form coalitions with incumbents based on shared beliefs to formulate strategies such as pathways to industry decarbonisation. The case highlights the functions of transition intermediaries for coordinating learning and action by way of advocacy and use of existing expertise and political alliances. Findings suggest that incumbents in established socio-technical regimes may work with transition intermediaries to decarbonise their sectors through incremental changes to existing infrastructure and by using emerging niche technologies. However, on contested issues, incumbents may require concessions from transition intermediaries that ultimately restrain agendas for further-reaching industry energy transition.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100843"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422424000340/pdfft?md5=130f492bc3a1d6d39de41e08c40ba056&pid=1-s2.0-S2210422424000340-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140540049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jieshu Wang , José Lobo , Shade T. Shutters , Deborah Strumsky
{"title":"Fueling a net-zero future: The influence of government-funded research on climate change mitigation inventions","authors":"Jieshu Wang , José Lobo , Shade T. Shutters , Deborah Strumsky","doi":"10.1016/j.eist.2024.100836","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100836","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examines the pace and content of Climate Change Mitigation Technology (CCMT) inventions, focusing on the influence of government-funded research on patent characteristics. Utilizing data from the USPTO, we analyze the trends in CCMT patenting from 1988 to 2017 and reveal a significant increase in CCMT inventions. However, patents in hydrogen technology and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) are comparatively low, suggesting these fields are still in the early development stages. CCMT inventions rely heavily on government-funded research, particularly in CCS and hydrogen technology. CCMT inventions relying on government research are more complex and generate larger and more pervasive knowledge spillovers than their counterparts. However, they are less likely to be novel and tend to consolidate rather than destabilize existing technologies. Interestingly, the effect of government research reducing the likelihood of novelty is only observed in CCMT inventions and does not extend to utility patents. These findings highlight the role of government-funded research in facilitating high-quality CCMT inventions through knowledge spillovers. Our study underscores the importance of sustained and targeted public investment in CCMT R&D.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54294,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 100836"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422424000273/pdfft?md5=c29a935b5dc55f664b75e73d7fd9bbf2&pid=1-s2.0-S2210422424000273-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140350848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}