The Growth and Significance of Sustainability Transitions Research

1. Defining the Field

• Sustainability Transitions (not "sustainable transitions"):
  • Focuses on environmental sustainability, not just financial sustainability.
  • Studies fundamental shifts in systems like energy, food, transport.
  • Involves changes in technology, infrastructure, institutions, behaviors, and values.

2. Origins and Evolution

• Early 1990s: Scholars began studying why some innovations succeed and others fail.
• Beyond the "pipeline model":
  • Traditional view: Science → Industry → Consumers (linear, no feedback).
  • Example: Green Revolution – top-down, limited adaptability.
  • Counter-example: System of Rice Intensification (SRI) – originated in Madagascar, spread via civil society, faced resistance from formal research systems.

3. Key Theoretical Foundations

• Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) – Frank Geels (2002):
  • Niches: Protected spaces for innovation.
  • Regimes: Dominant systems (rules, habits, power structures).
  • Landscapes: External forces (climate change, pandemics, economic shocks).
• Interdisciplinary roots:
  • Science and Technology Studies (STS)
  • Evolutionary Economics
  • Environmental Policy
  • Innovation Studies

4. Global Research Networks

• STRN:
  • 3000+ researchers worldwide (strong European presence).
  • Annual conferences (e.g., Oslo 2024).
  • Journal: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions (since 2011).
• NEST:
  • Focuses on power, colonial legacies, inclusivity.
  • Aims to diversify the field.

5. Real-World Applications & Examples

• University of Oslo:
  • Student-led Green Office.
  • Sustainable food sourcing (strict criteria, no non-vegetarian food at conferences).
  • Campus carbon footprint reduction.
• India:
  • IIM Bangalore: Mapping campus emissions.
  • National initiatives: 500 GW non-fossil energy, agroecology in Gujarat, clean mobility in Bengaluru/Kochi.

6. Why This Field Matters (Especially for India)

• Transitions are already happening but are:
  • Uneven
  • Slow
  • Often exclusionary (small farmers, women, low-income groups left out)
• Provides tools to:
  • Understand system resistance
  • Identify transition opportunities
  • Design better policies and experiments
• Research gap: Very few Indian scholars in the field; limited India-specific studies.

7. Future Directions

• Need for India-specific perspectives on transitions.
• More research on agriculture, rural livelihoods, and inclusive transitions.
• Potential for building a community of practice in India.

📘 Exam Tip:

Focus on understanding the multi-level perspective (niches, regimes, landscapes) and the limitations of the traditional pipeline model. Be prepared to compare examples like the Green Revolution and SRI to illustrate systemic vs. linear innovation. Emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of transitions research and its relevance to Indian contexts like energy, agriculture, and mobility.