Definitions
Sustainability transitions can be regarded as “multidimensional and co-evolutionary processes that involve changes in technology, user practices, business models, policies and governance approaches, and cultural meanings” (Geels 2018). These transition processes consequently involve long-term fundamental changes in societal systems toward more sustainable modes of production, consumption, and living (based on Loorbach et al. 2017; Markard et al. 2012).
Although this entry adopts the term transitions, it is important to note that different scientific communities in sustainability research have used the terms transitions and transformations rather interchangeably, albeit sometimes also with particular differences in meaning (e.g., Chappin and Ligtvoet 2014; Hölscher et al. 2018; Scoones et al. 2018). Examples of prominent research communities are the...
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Schlaile, M.P., Urmetzer, S. (2019). Transitions to Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Decent Work and Economic Growth. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71058-7_52-1
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