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The discursive politics of governing transitions towards sustainability: the UK Carbon Trust

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  • Florian Kern

Abstract

A growing literature on socio-technical transitions argues that structural change in societal subsystems is necessary to move towards more sustainable societies. Proponents of policy approaches such as 'transition management' have prescribed an important role to governments in such processes, but have so far paid too little attention to the politics of this endeavour. This paper scrutinises the politics of governing the transition to more sustainable energy systems by analysing a particular policy initiative in the UK. The paper finds that discursive struggles between coalitions of actors and the institutional contexts in which these struggles take place constrain as well as enable new policy initiatives. Policy prescriptions of 'transition management' thus need to take into account particular institutional contexts and need to be tied to dominant or emerging discourses to be successful.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian Kern, 2012. "The discursive politics of governing transitions towards sustainability: the UK Carbon Trust," International Journal of Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 15(1/2), pages 90-106.
    • Handle: RePEc:ids:ijsusd:v:15:y:2012:i:1/2:p:90-106
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Zolfagharian, Mohammadreza & Walrave, Bob & Raven, Rob & Romme, A. Georges L., 2019. "Studying transitions: Past, present, and future," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    3. Phil Johnstone & Andy Stirling, 2015. "Comparing Nuclear Power Trajectories inGermany And the UK: From ‘Regimes’ to ‘Democracies’ in Sociotechnical Transitions and Discontinuities," SPRU Working Paper Series 2015-18, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    4. Rosenbloom, Daniel & Berton, Harris & Meadowcroft, James, 2016. "Framing the sun: A discursive approach to understanding multi-dimensional interactions within socio-technical transitions through the case of solar electricity in Ontario, Canada," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 1275-1290.
    5. Novalia, Wikke & McGrail, Stephen & Rogers, Briony C. & Raven, Rob & Brown, Rebekah R. & Loorbach, Derk, 2022. "Exploring the interplay between technological decline and deinstitutionalisation in sustainability transitions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    6. Isoaho, Karoliina & Karhunmaa, Kamilla, 2019. "A critical review of discursive approaches in energy transitions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 930-942.
    7. Sofiane Laribi & Emmanuel Guy, 2020. "Promoting LNG as A Marine Fuel in Norway: Reflections on the Role of Global Regulations on Local Transition Niches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-17, November.
    8. Florian Kern, 2011. "Ideas, Institutions, and Interests: Explaining Policy Divergence in Fostering ‘System Innovations’ towards Sustainability," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 29(6), pages 1116-1134, December.
    9. Karoliina Isoaho & Jochen Markard, 2020. "The Politics of Technology Decline: Discursive Struggles over Coal Phase‐Out in the UK," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 37(3), pages 342-368, May.
    10. Laura Pereira & Timothy Karpouzoglou & Samir Doshi & Niki Frantzeskaki, 2015. "Organising a Safe Space for Navigating Social-Ecological Transformations to Sustainability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-18, May.

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