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Sustainability transition dynamics: Towards overcoming policy resistance

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  • de Gooyert, Vincent
  • Rouwette, Etiënne
  • van Kranenburg, Hans
  • Freeman, Edward
  • van Breen, Harry

Abstract

Sustainability transitions receive major scholarly attention, often explicitly with the intention to develop policy recommendations aimed towards progressing such transitions. Despite these efforts, many implemented transition policies have not been able to meet expectations. This tendency of systems to defeat the policies that have been designed to improve them is known as ‘policy resistance’. This paper addresses the question how we can explain the persistence of policy resistance in the context of sustainability transitions, and aims to bring us a step further in the direction of identifying policies that support overcoming policy resistance. System dynamics is an approach that explicitly addresses policy resistance and we investigate how this approach complements existing transition approaches. As an illustration, we apply the approach to the case of the Dutch energy transition, with the participation of 96 experts. We conclude that system dynamics complements the dominant multi-level perspective and the transition management approach by providing a middle ground between emphasizing agency or structure. Moreover, the approach helps overcoming policy resistance by mapping out the structure of the system responsible for policy resistance, thereby enabling the identification of high leverage points that support sustainability transitions.

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  • de Gooyert, Vincent & Rouwette, Etiënne & van Kranenburg, Hans & Freeman, Edward & van Breen, Harry, 2016. "Sustainability transition dynamics: Towards overcoming policy resistance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 135-145.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:111:y:2016:i:c:p:135-145
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2016.06.019
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    11. de Gooyert, Vincent & Rouwette, Etiënne & van Kranenburg, Hans & Freeman, Edward & van Breen, Harry, 2022. "Cognitive change and consensus forming in facilitated modelling: A comparison of experienced and observed outcomes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 299(2), pages 589-599.
    12. Andra Blumberga & Gatis Bazbauers & Selina Vancane & Ivars Ijabs & Jurijs Nikisins & Dagnija Blumberga, 2021. "Unintended Effects of Energy Efficiency Policy: Lessons Learned in the Residential Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-31, November.
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    14. Michael P. Schlaile & Sophie Urmetzer & Vincent Blok & Allan Dahl Andersen & Job Timmermans & Matthias Mueller & Jan Fagerberg & Andreas Pyka, 2017. "Innovation Systems for Transformations towards Sustainability? Taking the Normative Dimension Seriously," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-20, December.
    15. Janssen, Matthijs J., 2019. "What bangs for your buck? Assessing the design and impact of Dutch transformative policy," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 78-94.
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