Research insights

Transition as a philosophical category

Sgarro, T. (2022). Editorial I – Transitions: New and different perspectives. Elementa. Intersections between Philosophy, Epistemology and Empirical Perspectives, 2(1-2), 9-12. https://doi.org/10.7358/elementa-2022-0102-edit

Poletti L., Epoca e transizione: le inevitabili difficoltà della filosofia della storia, https://www.novaspes.org/rivista-paradoxa/paradoxa-online/laura-paoletti-epoca-e-transizione-le-inevitabili-difficolta-della-filosofia-della-storia/

Pascal Chabot. L’ epoca delle transizioni. Pensare il mondo a venire. 2021.

La transizione è il cambiamento desiderato. Le transizioni energetiche, democratiche e demografiche sono spazi in cui si inventa un nuovo rapporto con il futuro, si disegnano preferenze. Il “progresso sottile”, ben più profondo dell’ordinario progresso utile, si afferma. Il pianeta, piuttosto che una somma di risorse da sfruttare, diventa il luogo in cui gli uomini si confrontano con il mistero dell’esistenza e si imbattono in questioni fondamentali: quale presa può avere sull’evoluzione umana? Cosa occorre cambiare affinché nulla cambi a nostro discapito? Pascal Chabot tratteggia in questo libro un’inedita mappatura delle transizioni in corso con cui le società partecipano a un nuovo immaginario del cambiamento, e interroga così il divenire della mondializzazione tecnocapitalista.

Transition as a historiographical category

Laura Paoletti. Epoca e transizione: le inevitabili difficoltà della filosofia della storia, Paradoxa 1/2021.

Christoph Cornelißen, Luigi Lacche, Luca Scuccimarra, Bo Strath, Ripensare la transizione come categoria storiografica: uno sguardo interdisciplinare (a cura di Giovanni Bernardini e Maurizio Cau), Ricerche di storia politica (ISSN 1120-9526) Fascicolo 2, agosto 2018, doi: 10.1412/90337

In recent years, international historiography has devoted increasing attention to the concept of transition as a way to describe specific historical times that are characterized by deep and transversal change in every field of political and social life. The category of transition seems to offer an effective tool to investigate and interpret historical time in moments of change, while avoiding the shortcomings of teleological or evolutionist paradigms. We have debated the heuristic value of this category, as well as its limits, with four scholars with different backgrounds: from the history of ideas to law history, from the history of historiography to the historical-philosophical implications of the theories of modernity.

Baldissara, L. Sulla categoria di “Transizione”, Italia Contemporanea, marzo 2009, n. 254

Protein Transitions

Protein transition and circular food system transition are two proposed strategies for supporting food system sustainability. Here we model animal-sourced protein to plant-sourced protein ratios within a European circular food system, finding that maintaining the current animal–plant protein share while redesigning the system with circular principles resulted in the largest relative reduction of 44% in land use and 70% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with the current food system. Shifting from a 60:40 to a 40:60 ratio of animal-sourced proteins to plant-sourced proteins yielded a 60% reduction in land use and an 81% GHG emission reduction, while supporting nutritionally adequate diets. Differences between current and recommended total protein intake did not substantially impact minimal land use and GHG emissions. Micronutrient inadequacies occurred with less than 18 g animal protein per capita per day. Redesigning the food system varied depending on whether land use or GHG emissions were reduced— highlighting the need for a food system approach when designing policies to enhance human and planetary health.

Societal Transitions

Theoretical approaches

Jeroen C.J.M. van den Bergh, Bernhard Truffer, Giorgos Kallis, “Environmental innovation and societal transitions: Introduction and overview”, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Volume 1, Issue 1,2011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2011.04.010.
Four theoretical approaches to studying transitions are identified:

  • the innovation systems approach to transitions (Jacobsson and Bergek, 2011); 
  • the multi-level perspective (MLP) approach (Rip and Kemp, 1998; Geels, 2002, 2011) and the closely linked approach of strategic niche management (SNM; Kemp et al., 1998); 
  • transition management (TM) based on complex systems analysis (Rotmans and Loorbach, 2009; Grin et al., 2010); 
  • evolutionary-economic views and multi-agent modelling of transitions (van den Bergh et al., 2006; Safarzynska et al., 2011).

Karlijn L. van den Broek, Simona O. Negro, Marko P. Hekkert, “Mapping mental models in sustainability transitions“, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Volume 51, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100855.
Abstract: Sustainability transitions inherently involve system change, which needs to be initiated and accepted by a wide variety of actors. How actors perceive the system or transition of interest can shape key decisions in a transition process. Still, little transition research has combined this system perspective with the actor’s perspective. At this intersection lies the concept of mental models, which are actors’ system perceptions, consisting of beliefs about the causal interrelations between system components. Mapping mental models of actors in sustainability transitions may (1) increase our understanding of the system that needs to transform, (2) reveal obstacles or opportunities for change, and (3) demonstrate similarities and differences in system perceptions between actors. We present three types of transition mental models and illustrate these with examples. We conclude with avenues for future mental model research and discuss how insights from mental models can inform strategies to develop or steer transitions

Research and Innovation paper series: Working papers, policy briefs and literature reviews produced by the Commission’s research and innovation department (https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/support-policy-making/support-national-research-and-innovation-policy-making/research-and-innovation-paper-series_en)

  • European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Geels, F., Transformative innovation and socio-technical transitions to address grand challenges, Publications Office, 2020, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/967325
  • European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Palmer, E., Cavicchi, B., Systems based methods for research & innovation policy – How can they contribute to designing R&I policy for transitions?, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/592251
  • European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Experimenting with transformative innovation policy – Theoretical and practical perspectives, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/525684
  • Transitions Performance Index: a new composite indicator, which measures the performance of countries along four transitions: economic, social, environmental and governance. Most of the TPI indicators are outcome-oriented in order to present to the public and policymakers the combined impact of the policy mix implemented in each country. Using comparable international data, the TPI covers countries representing 76% of the total population. Using a ‘beyond GDP’ approach, it enables a comparison of country performances in progressing towards fair, equitable and sustainable prosperity.