Title: Concluding editorial: Sustainability transitions and their governance: lessons and next-step challenges

Authors: Niki Frantzeskaki; Joop Koppenjan; Derk Loorbach; Neal Ryan

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. ' Department of Public Administration, 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. ' Southern Cross University, P.O. Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia

Abstract: In this concluding editorial, we present the central observations regarding the theoretical, empirical and methodological explorations of the various articles that make up this special issue on the governability of societal transitions towards sustainability. We elaborate on the specific contributions of each article to the governance of sustainability transitions and the transition management approach and identify interesting similarities and differences between the various articles. Next, we revisit the guiding questions we formulated in the introductory editorial, and we answer these questions by synthesising the contributions of the eight articles regarding: 1) which theoretical perspectives are fruitful; 2) which empirical pathways and governance principles are available and valuable for governing sustainability transitions; 3) what we learnt about the governability of sustainability transitions; 4) how special sustainability transitions are as far as efforts to govern them are concerned; 5) which normative issues are at stake when attempting to govern sustainability transitions. We conclude the present editorial with an agenda of next challenges for both the practice and the study of the governance of sustainability transitions.

Keywords: socio-technological systems; sustainability transitions; pathways; transition governance; lock-in; frontrunners; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSD.2012.044040

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.15 No.1/2, pp.173 - 186

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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