In this insightful book, Frank W. Geels provides an advanced and evidenced introduction to one of the most important and dynamic topics in contemporary debates on how to address grand challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.

Since its emergence in the 1980s the national innovation system (NIS) concept has become widely used by scholars and policymakers alike. In the course of its rapid diffusion it has provoked controversy on fundamental issues. Where did NIS emerge? What is the theoretical core of the concept? Is it actually a scientific concept or simply a buzz-word? How useful is it in terms of low income countries? How does the national innovation system relate to economic, social and environmental sustainable development? Is it meaningful to study national systems in a globalizing economy? What are the legitimate policy implications? This book provides an in depth analysis of all these questions as well as recommending future avenues of research.

Leading mobilities theorist Mimi Sheller offers an up-to-date, comprehensive analysis of the complex mobility disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath in this timely Advanced Introduction. It outlines the formation of the interdisciplinary field of mobility studies, arguing that mobilities theory is crucial to planning post-pandemic recovery, sustainable communities, and low-carbon transitions. From tourism to migration to urban infrastructure, to informal and reproductive mobilities, Sheller reveals how multiple im/mobilities are interconnected, as the novel coronavirus reminds us as it hitchhikes across the globe through its human hosts.

Highlighting the power of multi-dimensional demography, this Advanced Introduction addresses the most consequential changes in our societies and economies using quantitative approaches. It defines three demographic theories with predictive power – demographic metabolism, transition and dividend – and repositions the discipline at the heart of social science.

Reading this book will lead to new insights compelling to an international audience into how cities address the sustainability challenges they face. They do this by not repeating old patterns but by searching for new and innovative methods and instruments based on shared principles of a transitions approach. The book describes the quest of cities on two continents to accelerate and stimulate such a transition to sustainability. The aim of the book is twofold: to provide insights into how cities are addressing this challenge conceptually and practically, and to learn from a comparison of governance strategies in Europe and Asia. The book is informed by transition thinking as it was developed in the last decade in Europe and as it is increasingly being applied in Asia. The analytical framework is based on principles of transition management, which draws on insights from complexity science, sociology, and governance theories. Only recently this approach has been adapted to the urban context, and this book is an opportunity to share these experiences with a wider audience. For scholars this work offers a presentation of recent state-of-the-art theoretical developments in transition governance applied to the context of cities. For urban planners, professionals, and practitioners it offers a framework for understanding ongoing developments as well as methods and instruments for dealing with them. The content is potentially appealing to post-graduate and graduate students of environmental management, policy studies, and urban studies programs.

Health systems have long been considered key determinants of well-being within modern societies, a valuable resource which have faced a series of reform initiatives throughout the past decades. These reforms have been used to manage the cost of development, measure the tenability of health systems in globalizing economies and promote the increasing importance of health problems related to lifestyle and living conditions, yet they have failed to provide a true resolution to the persistent economical and logistical problems facing modern-day health systems. This rich, interdisciplinary work explores the hypothesis that many of these problems cannot be adequately addressed without structural changes to our health systems, and examines the embedded features of our health systems that underlie contemporary challenges as well as how, and under what conditions, our health systems can be made more sustainable. Combining and building upon theoretical approaches from transition and innovation studies for analysing health system deficits, Toward Sustainable Transitions in Healthcare Systems raises fundamental questions about how new research, new needs and exogenous trends are transforming current health innovation systems. Providing an original and substantial analysis of the complex structural features of the health innovation system, this book will be of interest to students and practitioners of the politics of health, social epidemiology, medical sociology and those with an interest in transition theory.

Technological Pathways for Africa's Net-Zero Economy: Technology Solutions to Unlock Africa's Sustainable Future explores the potential of African countries to transition towards a net-zero economy. It highlights sustainable development challenges and opportunities Africa faces and provides insights on technological pathways toward this goal. The book emphasizes the importance of harnessing renewable energy resources, promoting green innovation, and building resilient infrastructure for a sustainable future. It calls for strong policy frameworks and international collaboration to support African countries in their transition. The book outlines seven scenarios supporting Africa's technological paths to a net-zero economy: leapfrogging, hybridization, adaptation, decentralization, sustainable development, promotion, and finance.These scenarios aim to adopt innovative technologies and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in education and capacity-building programs is crucial for African countries to effectively implement sustainable energy solutions, so the book also highlights the role of education and awareness in fostering a culture of sustainability among African communities and empowering them to actively participate in climate action initiatives. - Takes into account the unique socioeconomic and environmental context of Africa, which is crucial for developing tailored strategies and solutions that are suitable for the continent - Offers practical insights and recommendations for policymakers, businesses, and individuals to navigate the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to a sustainable future - Highlights successful case studies from other regions that can serve as inspiration and learning points for Africa's journey towards a net-zero economy

This book focuses on sustainable energy systems. While several innovative and alternative concepts are presented, the topics of energy policy, life cycle assessment, thermal energy, and renewable energy also play a major role. Models on various temporal and geographical scales are developed to understand the conditions of technical as well as organizational change. New methods of modeling, which can fulfil technical and physical boundary conditions and nevertheless consider economic environmental and social aspects, are also developed.

This groundbreaking handbook leads the way in accelerating the transition to a sustainable circular economy by introducing the concept of a catalyst as a positive and enhancing driving force for sustainability. Catalysts create and maintain favourable conditions for complex systemic sustainability transition changes, and a discussion and understanding of catalysts is required to move from a linear economy to a sustainable and circular economy. With contributions from leading experts from around the globe, this volume presents theoretical insights, contextualised case studies, and participatory methodologies, which identify different catalysts, including technology, innovation, business models, management and organisation, regulation, sustainability policy, product design, and culture. The authors then show how these catalysts accelerate sustainability transitions. As a unique value to the reader, the book brings together public policy and private business perspectives to address the circular economy as a systemic change. Its theoretical and practical perspectives are coupled with real-world case studies from Finland, Italy, China, India, Nigeria, and others to provide tangible insights on catalysing the circular economy across organisational, hierarchical, and disciplinary boundaries. With its broad interdisciplinary and geographically diverse scope, this handbook will be a valuable tool for researchers, academics, and policy-makers in the fields of circular economy, sustainability transitions, environmental studies, business, and the social sciences more broadly.

This volume analyzes the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy transition and climate change from an economic perspective. Since its emergence in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a powerful effect on multiple facets of the global economy. The unknown scope and duration of the pandemic and its associated economic shocks have made energy security and the process of clean energy transition highly unpredictable. To combat this, this edited volume presents a wide range of theoretical and empirical research at the nexus of the COVID-19 pandemic and energy, resource, and environmental economics. Chapters focus on four major themes: the impact of crises on energy security, the role of resilient energy systems in society, the challenges of clean energy transition, and economic impacts of COVID-19 on climate change. Providing rigorous analysis of an evolving situation that will continue to impact the global energy market, this volume will be of interest to researchers and students of energy economics, environmental economics, and resource economics as well as policy professionals involved in climate change and energy transition.