socio-technical transitions to sustainability
TRANSCRIPT
Socio-technical transitions to sustainability
Adrian Smith
Professor of Technology & Society
Science Policy Research Unit
University of Sussex
itdUPM 28 Noviembre 2017
Transition imperatives? A UK illustration
184
134
103
108
98
42
2006 emissions
International aviation
& shipping*
UK non-CO2 GHGs
Other CO2
Industry (heat &
industrial processes)
Residential &
Commercial heat
Domestic transport
Electricity Generation
* bunker fuels basis
2050 objective
159 Mt CO2e
695 Mt CO2e
77% cut (= 80% vs. 1990)
1. Norms and routines of engineers, developers, supply chains
2. Business models and markets
3. Economies of scale and positive network externalities
4. Infrastructures for connecting things
5. Institutions for coordinating and reproducing systems
6. Consumer habits and social practices
7. Political power and access to decision-making
These interacting processes effectively lock-out the spread of sustainable innovations.
Innovation policy for sustainability needs to attend to these structural impediments,
e.g. regulations, redirected investment, new market rules.
Need to create spaces less susceptible to these processes where radical innovation
can be developed
Inelastic systems ‘lock-in’ through co-evolving path-dependencies:
Locking-in to unsustainability: socio-technical regimes
Niche-based approaches
Create green niches to experiment with a ‘vision’ for the sustainable regime they might prefigure. Green niches:
• Create new knowledge and diversity
• Improve socio-technical performance
• Provide resources and nurture markets
• Explore future potential
• Build supportive constituencies and legitimacy
• Understand sustainability differently
Model of development: early idealists, systems builders, then mainstream interest. Niche growth displaces unsustainable regimes under tension
Transition analysis: a multi-level perspective
TimeTime
Landscape developments put pressure on existing regime, which opens up, creating windows of opportunity for novelties
Socio-technical regime is ‘dynamically stable’.On different dimensions there are ongoing processes
New configuration breaks through, takingadvantage of ‘windows of opportunity’. Adjustments occur in socio-technical regime.
Elements are gradually linked together,and stabilise in a dominant design.Internal momentum increases.
Learning processes take place on multiple dimensions.Different elements are gradually linked together in a seamless web.
New socio-technicalregime influences landscape
Technologicalniches
Socio-technical’landscape
Socio-technicalregime
Technology
Markets, user preferences
CulturePolicy
ScienceIndustry
Source: Geels (2002)
Transition governance
TimeTime
Landscape devel opment s put pressure on exi st i ng regi me, w hi ch opens up, creat i ng w i ndow s of oppor t uni t y for novel t i es
Soci o- t echni cal r egi me i s ‘dynami cal l y st abl e’ .O n di f ferent di mensi ons t here are ongoi ng processes
N ew conf i gurat i on breaks t hrough, t aki ngadvant age of ‘w i ndow s of oppor t uni t y’ . A dj ust ment s occur i n soci o- t echni cal r egi me.
El ement s are gradual l y l i nked t oget her ,and st abi l i se i n a domi nant desi gn.Int ernal moment um i ncreases.
Learni ng processes t ake pl ace on mul t i pl e di mensi ons.D i f ferent el ement s are gradual l y l i nked t oget her i n a seaml ess w eb.
N ew soci o- t echni calregi me i nf l uences l andscape
Technologicalniches
Socio-technical’landscape
Socio-technicalregime
Technol ogy
Market s, user preferences
Cul t urePol i cy
Sci enceIndust ry
Source: Geels (2002)
Pressure on regime to become sustainable
Empowering environmental awareness and values
Visions for sustainable energy
systems
Visions for sustainable energy
systems Visions for sustainable energy
systems
Socio-technical niches
Socio-technical niches
Socio-technical niches
Socio-technical niches
Learning / process
Politics / substance
Transition governance
TimeTime
Landscape devel opment s put pressure on exi st i ng regi me, w hi ch opens up, creat i ng w i ndow s of oppor t uni t y for novel t i es
Soci o- t echni cal r egi me i s ‘dynami cal l y st abl e’ .O n di f ferent di mensi ons t here are ongoi ng processes
N ew conf i gurat i on breaks t hrough, t aki ngadvant age of ‘w i ndow s of oppor t uni t y’ . A dj ust ment s occur i n soci o- t echni cal r egi me.
El ement s are gradual l y l i nked t oget her ,and st abi l i se i n a domi nant desi gn.Int ernal moment um i ncreases.
Learni ng processes t ake pl ace on mul t i pl e di mensi ons.D i f ferent el ement s are gradual l y l i nked t oget her i n a seaml ess w eb.
N ew soci o- t echni calregi me i nf l uences l andscape
Technologicalniches
Socio-technical’landscape
Socio-technicalregime
Technol ogy
Market s, user preferences
Cul t urePol i cy
Sci enceIndust ry
Source: Geels (2002)
Pressure on regime to become sustainable
Empowering environmental awareness and values
Visions for sustainable energy
systems
Visions for sustainable energy
systems Visions for sustainable energy
systems
Socio-technical niches
Socio-technical niches
Socio-technical niches
Socio-technical niches
Whose lessons should
drive future adaptations?
Whose visions count? How to redistribute
commitments from regime to
niches?
How to destabilise the regime?
Where does all this take place?
Which niches to support; whose criteria?
Learning / process
Politics / substance
Más información:
Smith, A. and R. Raven (2012) What is protective space? Reconsidering niches in transitions to sustainability, Research Policy 41: 1025-1036
Smith, A., Voss, J-P and J. Grin (2010) Innovation studies and sustainability transitions: the allure of the multi-level perspective and its challenges, Research Policy, 39, 4: 435-448
Evolutionary ideas in strategic niche management
after Geels and Raven, 2006; Markard and Truffer, 2008
Niche ‘protective space’
Shielding (active & passive): socio-cognitive; markets; institutions; infrastructures; users; cultural associations; policy
Empowering the niche: - fit & conform
(competitiveness); - stretch & transform
(institutionalisation) Nurturing niche development: - shared expectations - actor networks - social learning