Growing Grassroots Innovations: Exploring the Role of Community-Based Initiatives in Governing Sustainable Energy Transitions
Tóm tắt
The challenges of sustainable development (and climate change and peak oil, in particular) demand system-wide transformations in sociotechnical systems of provision. An academic literature around coevolutionary innovation for sustainability has recently emerged as an attempt to understand the dynamics and directions of such sociotechnical transformations, which are termed ‘sustainability transitions’. This literature has previously focused on market-based technological innovations. Here we apply it to a new context of civil-society-based social innovation and examine the role of community-based initiatives in a transition to a low-carbon sustainable economy in the UK. We present new empirical research from a study of the UK's Transition Towns movement (a ‘grassroots innovation’) and assess its attempts to grow and influence wider societal sociotechnical systems. By applying strategic niche management theory to this civil society context, we deliver theoretically informed practical recommendations for this movement to diffuse beyond its niche: to foster deeper engagement with resourceful regime actors; to manage expectations more realistically by delivering tangible opportunities for action and participation; and to embrace a community-based, action-oriented model of social change (in preference to a cognitive theory of behaviour change). Furthermore, our study indicates areas where theory can be refined to better explain the growth and broader impacts of grassroots innovations—namely, through a fuller appreciation of the importance of internal niche processes, by understanding the important role of identity and group formation, and by resolving how social practices change in grassroots innovations.
Từ khóa
Tài liệu tham khảo
Brangwyn B, 2008, Transition Initiatives Primer: Version 26
Church C, 2002, The Quiet Revolution
Curry A, 2005, Intelligent Future Infrastructure: The Scenarios Towards 2055
Defra, 2010, Food 2030: How We Get There
Douthwaite R, 1996, Short Circuit: Strengthening Local Economies for Security in an Unstable World
FEASTA, 2006, Energy Scenarios Ireland
Hargreaves T, 2011, “Sustainability transitions from the bottom up: Civil society, the multi-level perspective and practice theory”
Heinberg R, 2004, Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-carbon World
Hielscher S, 2011, “Community innovation for sustainable energy”
Government H M, 2009, The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan
Hopkins R, 2008, The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience
Hopkins R, 2009, Who We Are and What We Do
Jackson T, 2007, The Earthscan Reader In Sustainable Consumption, 367
Loorbach D, 2007, Transition Management: New Mode of Governance for Sustainable Development
ONS, 2002, Labour Force Survey
ONS, 2009, Social Trends 39, 2009
Rip A, 1998, Human Choices and Climate Change. Volume 2: Resources and Technology, 327
Seyfang G, 2010, “Energy and communities in transition: Towards a new research agenda on agency and civil society in sustainability transitions”
Smith A, 2012, Governing the Energy Transition: Reality, Illusion, or Necessity, 180
Sorrell S, 2009, Global Oil Depletion: An Assessment of the Evidence for a Near-term Peak in Global Oil Production
Spratt S, 2009, The Great Transition
Transition Network, 2009, The Transition Network Identity: Usage Manual
UKERC, 2009, “Making the transition to a secure and low-carbon energy system: Synthesis report”
WSSD, 2002, Plan of Implementation World Summit on Sustainable Development