sustainability transitions and transition management · • introducing transition and transition...

[email protected] twitter: @drk75

Prof.dr. Derk Loorbach,

Barcelona, 01-02-2017

Sustainability Transitions andtransition management

mailto:[email protected]


RESEARCH PRACTICE

CONSULTANCYEDUCATION



Outline - ambition

• Introducing transition and transition management perspective

• Opening discussion on regional transitions and sustainability

• Identifying challenges and opportunities in dealing with shocks and crises

• Stimulating new thinking and empowering new practices

9-2-2017



Research as transformation

• Transitions are non-linear systemic changes and by definition unpredictable and unmanageable

• There are patterns, mechanisms and dynamics that can guide strategy and action

• Sustainability transition research is about facilitating and structuring collective processes of

learning-by-doing

9-2-2017



Fossil intensity

Time

1850 1900 1950 2000

Energy transitions:Biobased to oil

Coal to gasElectricity systems

Energy systemPrivatisation

Industrial transition

Mass productionChemical industry

Mobility transitionsHorse to car

Individual mobility

Industrial food production

Why transitions? Why sustainability?



Societal systems

9-2-2017

Socio-ecological

Socio-technical

Socio-institutional

Non-linearityMulti-level

Co-evolutionEmergence

RegimesNiches

Health careEducationLabor marketFinance

EnergyMobilityWater Waste

ForestryFisheriesAgricultureBiodiversity



predevelopmenttipping phase

reconfiguration

stabilisation

Sustainable

Society?



Transitions?

A process of structural, non-linear systemic change in dominant culture, structure and practices that takes place over a periodof decades (Rotmans et al, 2001, Grin et al, 2010)

culture: shared values, paradigms, worldviews, discourses

structure: institutions, economic structures, physical infrastructures

practices: routines, behavior, action, lifestyles

Explains persistency and lock-in as well as disruptive systemicchange



Examples of transitions

Transitions from … to

fossil renewable energyautomobility social mobility

linear circular economyfighting against living with water

wastewater treatment resource recoveryefficient care positive health

food quantity food qualitycontrol/plan guide/facilitate

Symbols

• Solar panels• Bicycles• Blue City• Floating town• Energyfactory• Buurtzorg• Urban farming • Transitionarena

9-2-2017 [email protected] twitter: @drk75




Dynamics of transitions

(Loorbach, 2014)



Local initiatives as key change agents



Transition governance Research

Analytical

Experimental

Evaluative

Power Agency

DiscourseVisions

Experimentation Learning

Social innovationExperiments

Programs Monitoring

Transition arenasNiche experiments

Action research Scenarios

GovernanceSocial learningInstitutionsActors



Principles for transition governance

• Selective participation

• Multi-level, multi-phase

• Long-term and short-term

• Reflexive and critical

• Problem structuring and envisioning

• Doing-by-learning and learning-by-doing

9-2-2017



Tools TM

tipping point

ethics

transition

potential

community engagement

communication

& discourse

financing (e.g. joint purchase)

empowerment

coalition building

business cases

cost-benefit

system analysis

arena

agendaexperiments

evaluation

TM

power analysis

institutionalization

power strategy

social movement



Transition Governance Framework

Monitoring,

evaluating

and learning

Institutional

and

structural

changes,

new

networks/

coalitions

Breakthrough actions,

projects and initiatives,

new organisations

Problem structuring,

shared sense of urgency,

guiding visions



society

Transitie ArenaRegular policy arena

- short term

- mainstream

- incremental improvement

- problemsolving

- long term

- change agents

- transition

- problemsearching

Transition arenas:space for experimental governance



TransitionNetworks

TransitionExperiments

TransitionArena

Phase III

Framing the transition

Phase IV

Envisioning a sustainable city

Phase V

Reconnecting long term & short term

Phase VI

Going intoaction

TransitionTeam

Phase I

Setting the scene

Phase II

Exploringdynamics Phase VII

Engaging & anchoring

(Nevens and Roorda, 2014)



NNew radical visions


[email protected] twitter: @drk759-2-2017



Setting the scene: mobility transition



Just people…



Modern city made for cars?



Source: Stockholm Resilience Center and DRIFT, 2010




[email protected] twitter: @drk759-2-2017


[email protected] twitter: @drk75“Bruiloft” in tunnelbak ‘s Gravendijkwal - BOOG / Adem in Rotterdam



Happy Streets

Foto: Studio van der Poort



BikeParkFietsparkeren combineren met andere diensten & “openklappen” naar omgeving (ism Magis010)

KinderfietsenplanGrootschalig inzamelen van kinderfietsen; beschikbaar stellen & laten pimpen door kinderen op Zuid (ism ANWB)

Fietsvriendelijke scholenScholenprogramma voor veilige schoolomgeving & opbouw fietscultuur (ism BMX fietsschool en PothPiek architecten)



Panarchy

• All actors steer but no-one decides

• Power of self-organization

• Diversity of different governance forms and models

• Society responds to persistency and unsustainability

• Creating conditions that empower governance contributing to transitions

9-2-2017



TM: what is radically different?

Instead of solving problems, ‘creating’ problems other willsolve

Not starting from representation and improvement but from engagement and change

Not starting with policy, measurement and ‘knowing, but from society, experimentation and research

Strong steering from societal urgency and radical ambitionson long term, facilitating diversity and emergence on short

term

9-2-2017



Scaling and mainstreamingtransformative innovations

Institutionalisation, prohibiting, regulating

Phasing-out, breaking-down

Adjusting andlearning

Transition governance mix



Recipe for transitions?

Transitionmanagement 1.0 = deep and shared urgency x revolutionary ambition x diplomatic

governance x reflexive learning

Transitionmanagement 2.0: bottom-up scaling x top-down steering x phase-out policies x

reflexive institutionalisation

9-2-2017



Carfree neighbourhoodsCollective mobility schemes

Mobility as serviceCooperative bikesharing

Changing traffic rules (right of way)Environmental zones

Shfting infrastructure investment

Internalising externalities

Phase out parking in public spacePhase out fossil mobilityPhase out individual car ownsership

Constant envisioning, adjusting and

learning

Governance mix



Susta(ina)bility?



Summarizing….

• Transitions are a way to understand large societal processes of experimentation

• Thinking systematically about transitions, co-researching them, is how to move forward

• That implies a normative starting point seeking to address persistent unsustainability

• And it requires new forms of co-creation and governance mixes

9-2-2017



Current research themes

Transformation governance and politics(Frantzeskaki et al 2014; Avelino and Wittmayer, 2014; Wittmayer and Schapke 2014; Brown, Loorbach et al 2013)

New economies(Loorbach et al, 2016; Jhagroe, 2016, Beers 2016; Loorbach and Lijnis, 2014; Bosman et al, 2014)

Resources and circularity(Bosman et al 2014, 2016; Van Raak 2015)

Transformative social innovation (Avelino et al 2014; Wittmayer et al, 2016; Haxeltine et al 2014)

Trasition research methods and philosophy(Wittmayer 2016)

Urban transitions(Loorbach et al, 2015, Frantzeskaki et al 2016, Roorda and Neevens 2014,Spira, Frantzeskaki and Loorbach 2014; Wolfram et al 2013)



Thank you for your attention

For more information, first aid in transitions andpublications: www.drift.eur.nl/publications

To get into action

(in Dutch, French,

Norwegian, Spanish,

Japanese, Greek,

Italian and English):


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