Exploring the “how” of a just climate transition at the local level: eco-social innovations and governance
Björngren Cuadra, Carin ; Kennedy Tsunoda, Erin LU
; Björneland, Christian
; Dabaieh, Marwa
; Persson, Sofie
; Berseus, Jesper
and Nordqvist, Joakim
(2025)
In Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy
21(1).
- Abstract
- This article seeks to contribute to understanding the practical “how” of a just climate transition as a systemic change with a focus on the local level. With the backdrop of the central role of municipalities in terms of governance in achieving climate transition while also fulfilling societal functions, it explores cases of eco-social innovations (ESI) of circular practices, with a specific interest in their transformative potential from a climate-justice perspective. We applied a qualitative and exploratory methodology in the context of a Swedish city operationalizing a climate-transition program while drawing upon (trans)national networks. The exploration suggests that the ESIs contribute in terms of relating to six intertwined systemic... (More)
- This article seeks to contribute to understanding the practical “how” of a just climate transition as a systemic change with a focus on the local level. With the backdrop of the central role of municipalities in terms of governance in achieving climate transition while also fulfilling societal functions, it explores cases of eco-social innovations (ESI) of circular practices, with a specific interest in their transformative potential from a climate-justice perspective. We applied a qualitative and exploratory methodology in the context of a Swedish city operationalizing a climate-transition program while drawing upon (trans)national networks. The exploration suggests that the ESIs contribute in terms of relating to six intertwined systemic conditions, exposing the scaffolding of the current unsustainable system. The ESIs also reveal alternative modes of dwelling that acknowledge constructive relationality and can potentially transform human desires and lifestyles. We conclude that the role of a municipality and the use of governance mechanisms vary depending on the systemic conditions at stake and the power resources at play. As places and innovative areas, municipalities can aspire to be Foucauldian eco-social heterotopias, real utopias that critically reflect unsustainable, habituated dwellings and serve as spaces for reversal and transformation. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/c7c65a2e-6a02-48f1-957e-0dc9afd55ba6
- author
- Björngren Cuadra, Carin
; Kennedy Tsunoda, Erin
LU
; Björneland, Christian
; Dabaieh, Marwa
; Persson, Sofie
; Berseus, Jesper
and Nordqvist, Joakim
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-09-16
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- in
- Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy
- volume
- 21
- issue
- 1
- publisher
- Proquest
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105016676912
- ISSN
- 1548-7733
- DOI
- 10.1080/15487733.2025.2548659
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c7c65a2e-6a02-48f1-957e-0dc9afd55ba6
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-29 11:25:38
- date last changed
- 2025-09-30 04:02:48
@article{c7c65a2e-6a02-48f1-957e-0dc9afd55ba6,
abstract = {{This article seeks to contribute to understanding the practical “how” of a just climate transition as a systemic change with a focus on the local level. With the backdrop of the central role of municipalities in terms of governance in achieving climate transition while also fulfilling societal functions, it explores cases of eco-social innovations (ESI) of circular practices, with a specific interest in their transformative potential from a climate-justice perspective. We applied a qualitative and exploratory methodology in the context of a Swedish city operationalizing a climate-transition program while drawing upon (trans)national networks. The exploration suggests that the ESIs contribute in terms of relating to six intertwined systemic conditions, exposing the scaffolding of the current unsustainable system. The ESIs also reveal alternative modes of dwelling that acknowledge constructive relationality and can potentially transform human desires and lifestyles. We conclude that the role of a municipality and the use of governance mechanisms vary depending on the systemic conditions at stake and the power resources at play. As places and innovative areas, municipalities can aspire to be Foucauldian eco-social heterotopias, real utopias that critically reflect unsustainable, habituated dwellings and serve as spaces for reversal and transformation.}},
author = {{Björngren Cuadra, Carin and Kennedy Tsunoda, Erin and Björneland, Christian and Dabaieh, Marwa and Persson, Sofie and Berseus, Jesper and Nordqvist, Joakim}},
issn = {{1548-7733}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Proquest}},
series = {{Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy}},
title = {{Exploring the “how” of a just climate transition at the local level: eco-social innovations and governance}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2025.2548659}},
doi = {{10.1080/15487733.2025.2548659}},
volume = {{21}},
year = {{2025}},
}