IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envval/v30y2021i4p431-451.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Systemic Unsustainability as a Threat to Democracy

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Felicetti

Abstract

Resilient socioeconomic unsustainability poses a threat to democracy whose importance has yet to be fully acknowledged. As the prospect of sustainability transition wanes, so does perceived legitimacy of institutions. This further limits representative institutions’ ability to take action, making democratic deepening all the more urgent. I investigate this argument through an illustrative case study, the 2017 People's Climate March. In a context of resilient unsustainability, protesters have little expectation that institutions might address the ecological crisis and this view is likely to spread. New ways of thinking about this problem and a new research agenda are needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Felicetti, 2021. "Systemic Unsustainability as a Threat to Democracy," Environmental Values, , vol. 30(4), pages 431-451, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envval:v:30:y:2021:i:4:p:431-451
    DOI: 10.3197/096327120X15973379803708
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3197/096327120X15973379803708
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.3197/096327120X15973379803708?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elizabeth Shove & Gordon Walker, 2007. "Caution! Transitions Ahead: Politics, Practice, and Sustainable Transition Management," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 39(4), pages 763-770, April.
    2. Carolyn Hendriks, 2009. "Policy design without democracy? Making democratic sense of transition management," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(4), pages 341-368, November.
    3. Jan Rotmans & Rene Kemp, 2008. "Detour Ahead: A Response to Shove and Walker about the Perilous Road of Transition Management," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(4), pages 1006-1012, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giorgia Silvestri & Julia M. Wittmayer & Karlijn Schipper & Robinah Kulabako & Sampson Oduro-Kwarteng & Philip Nyenje & Hans Komakech & Roel Van Raak, 2018. "Transition Management for Improving the Sustainability of WASH Services in Informal Settlements in Sub-Saharan Africa—An Exploration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, November.
    2. Mary Lawhon, 2012. "Contesting power, trust and legitimacy in the South African e-waste transition," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 45(1), pages 69-86, March.
    3. Lowes, Richard & Woodman, Bridget, 2020. "Disruptive and uncertain: Policy makers’ perceptions on UK heat decarbonisation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    4. Maria Luisa Lode & Geert te Boveldt & Cathy Macharis & Thierry Coosemans, 2021. "Application of Multi-Actor Multi-Criteria Analysis for Transition Management in Energy Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-18, February.
    5. Jan-Peter Voß & Adrian Smith & John Grin, 2009. "Designing long-term policy: rethinking transition management," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(4), pages 275-302, November.
    6. Barton, John & Davies, Lloyd & Dooley, Ben & Foxon, Timothy J. & Galloway, Stuart & Hammond, Geoffrey P. & O’Grady, Áine & Robertson, Elizabeth & Thomson, Murray, 2018. "Transition pathways for a UK low-carbon electricity system: Comparing scenarios and technology implications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2779-2790.
    7. Claudia Pahl-Wostl, 2017. "An Evolutionary Perspective on Water Governance: From Understanding to Transformation," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(10), pages 2917-2932, August.
    8. René Kemp & Jan Rotmans, 2009. "Transitioning policy: co-production of a new strategic framework for energy innovation policy in the Netherlands," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(4), pages 303-322, November.
    9. Lowes, Richard & Woodman, Bridget & Fitch-Roy, Oscar, 2019. "Policy change, power and the development of Great Britain's Renewable Heat Incentive," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 410-421.
    10. Upham, Paul & Virkamäki, Venla & Kivimaa, Paula & Hildén, Mikael & Wadud, Zia, 2015. "Socio-technical transition governance and public opinion: The case of passenger transport in Finland," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 210-219.
    11. Niko Schäpke & Ines Omann & Julia M. Wittmayer & Frank Van Steenbergen & Mirijam Mock, 2017. "Linking Transitions to Sustainability: A Study of the Societal Effects of Transition Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-36, May.
    12. Debbie Hopkins & Tim Schwanen, 2018. "Automated Mobility Transitions: Governing Processes in the UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-19, March.
    13. Melissa Jackson & Aleta Lederwasch & Damien Giurco, 2014. "Transitions in Theory and Practice: Managing Metals in the Circular Economy," Resources, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-28, July.
    14. Goddard, George & Farrelly, Megan A., 2018. "Just transition management: Balancing just outcomes with just processes in Australian renewable energy transitions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 110-123.
    15. Kastrinos, Nikos & Weber, K. Matthias, 2020. "Sustainable development goals in the research and innovation policy of the European Union," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    16. Hölscher, Katharina & Wittmayer, Julia M. & Avelino, Flor & Giezen, Mendel, 2019. "Opening up the transition arena: An analysis of (dis)empowerment of civil society actors in transition management in cities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 176-185.
    17. Hurlbert, Margot & McNutt, Kathleen & Rayner, Jeremy, 2011. "Pathways to power: Policy transitions and the reappearance of the nuclear power option in Saskatchewan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3182-3190, June.
    18. Ashford, Nicholas A. & Hall, Ralph P., 2018. "Achieving Global Climate and Environmental Goals by Governmental Regulatory Targeting," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 246-259.
    19. Shambu Prasad Chebrolu & Deborah Dutta, 2021. "Managing Sustainable Transitions: Institutional Innovations from India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.
    20. Hogan, Jessica L. & Warren, Charles R. & Simpson, Michael & McCauley, Darren, 2022. "What makes local energy projects acceptable? Probing the connection between ownership structures and community acceptance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envval:v:30:y:2021:i:4:p:431-451. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.