Title: Governing societal transitions to sustainability

Authors: Niki Frantzeskaki; Derk Loorbach; James Meadowcroft

Addresses: DRIFT – Dutch Research Institute For Transitions, Faculty of Social Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. ' DRIFT – Dutch Research Institute For Transitions, Faculty of Social Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. ' School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada

Abstract: Our paper addresses the inherent tension between the open-ended and uncertain process of sustainability transitions and the ambition for governing such a process. We explore this tension from two theoretical angles: the sustainability and the governance angles; by showing the implications of sustainability targets in governance processes and governance attempts. We propose transition management as a governance approach that has the potential to overcome this tension through selective participatory processes of envisioning, negotiating, learning and experimenting. Transition management includes a portfolio of tools that have a common objective to enable change in practices and structures directed towards sustainable development targets. We present the transition arena and the transition experiments as two transition management tools elaborating on their process design, expected outcomes and illustrating their application in the Dutch construction transition.

Keywords: sustainability transitions; societal transitions; governance; transition arena; transition agenda; construction industry; sustainable construction; sustainable development; transition management; The Netherlands.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSD.2012.044032

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.15 No.1/2, pp.19 - 36

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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