TY - JOUR
T1 - Transformations to sustainability
T2 - combining structural, systemic and enabling approaches
AU - Scoones, Ian
AU - Stirling, Andrew
AU - Abrol, Dinesh
AU - Atela, Joanes
AU - Charli-Joseph, Lakshmi
AU - Eakin, Hallie
AU - Ely, Adrian
AU - Olsson, Per
AU - Pereira, Laura
AU - Priya, Ritu
AU - van Zwanenberg, Patrick
AU - Yang, Lichao
N1 - Funding Information:
This paper has emerged from the collective work of the ESRC STEPS Centre and Consortium (Grant Number ES/I021620/10 ). All authors are members of the STEPS Global Consortium ( https://steps-centre.org/global/ ) and the ‘Pathways’ Transformative Knowledge Network, which has been supported by Transformations to Sustainability programme, which is coordinated by the International Science Council (ISC) and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/2
Y1 - 2020/2
N2 - The imperatives of environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation and social justice (partially codified in the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs) call for ambitious societal transformations. As such, few aspects of actionable knowledge for sustainability are more crucial than those concerning the processes of transformation. This article offers a brief overview of different conceptualisations of transformation, and outlines a set of practical principles for effective research and action towards sustainability. We review three approaches to transformations, labelled: ‘structural’, ‘systemic’ and ‘enabling’. We show how different ways of understanding what we mean by transformations can affect what actions follow. But these approaches are not mutually exclusive. We use an international set of examples on low carbon economy transformations, seed systems, wetland conservation and peri-urban development to show how they can be complementary and reinforcing. We describe three cross-cutting practical considerations that must be taken seriously for effective transformations to sustainability: diverse knowledges, plural pathways and the essentially political nature of transformation. Realizing the ambitions of the SDGs, we conclude, requires being clear about what we mean by transformation, and recognizing these basic methodological principles for action.
AB - The imperatives of environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation and social justice (partially codified in the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs) call for ambitious societal transformations. As such, few aspects of actionable knowledge for sustainability are more crucial than those concerning the processes of transformation. This article offers a brief overview of different conceptualisations of transformation, and outlines a set of practical principles for effective research and action towards sustainability. We review three approaches to transformations, labelled: ‘structural’, ‘systemic’ and ‘enabling’. We show how different ways of understanding what we mean by transformations can affect what actions follow. But these approaches are not mutually exclusive. We use an international set of examples on low carbon economy transformations, seed systems, wetland conservation and peri-urban development to show how they can be complementary and reinforcing. We describe three cross-cutting practical considerations that must be taken seriously for effective transformations to sustainability: diverse knowledges, plural pathways and the essentially political nature of transformation. Realizing the ambitions of the SDGs, we conclude, requires being clear about what we mean by transformation, and recognizing these basic methodological principles for action.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.cosust.2019.12.004
DO - 10.1016/j.cosust.2019.12.004
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85078128424
SN - 1877-3435
VL - 42
SP - 65
EP - 75
JO - Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
JF - Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
ER -