James Meadowcroft, SPPA Professor
Daniel Rosenbloom (University of Toronto) and SPPA Chancellor’s Professor James Meadowcroft‘s recent paper Accelerating Pathways to Net Zero: Governance Strategies from Transition Studies and the Transition Accelerator. was published in Current Climate Change Reports (Aug 2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-022-00185-7.
Abstract
Purpose
After decades of delay, there are promising signs that society may finally be getting serious about climate change. But the problem is now of such urgency that accelerating transition pathways to net zero is of paramount importance. Which governance approach gives society the best chance of simultaneously realizing the multiple sectoral and industrial transformations that net zero entails? How can policymakers and broader societal actors accelerate these transformative processes, setting in motion transition pathways to desirable futures? In response to these interrelated questions, we survey the literature on sustainability transitions and present an approach that aims directly at radical system change.
Recent Findings
Two decades of transition research has generated critical insights on accelerating transition pathways to net zero, highlighting key transformative strategies and pointing to the central role of the state, politics, and intermediaries.
Summary
Transition research indicates that reaching net zero entails radically transforming essentially all sectors and industries as they are deeply entwined with the use of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gas emissions. An ambitious state in conjunction with a strong constellation of intermediary organizations can set in motion and accelerate transition pathways by actively driving niche development surrounding promising innovations, promoting the diffusion of emerging alternatives, and phasing out carbon-intensive arrangements.