Infrastructure trajectories with positive long-term outcomes

Climate change and deep cuts in CO2 emissions require transitions to completely new kinds of transport systems. These new systems go beyond technology fix or behaviour change. The socio-technical approach recognises that investment in costly transport infrastructures lock us into long-term path dependencies, such that decisions taken today will have consequences for many decades to come.  

  • Geels, F. W., Sovacool, B. K., Schwanen, T., & Sorrell, S. (2017). The socio-technical dynamics of low-carbon transitions. Joule, 1(3), 463-479. (Link)
  • Geels, F. W. (2012). A socio-technical analysis of low-carbon transitions: introducing the multi-level perspective into transport studies. Journal of transport geography, 24, 471-482. (Link)
  • Geels, F. W. (2005). Processes and patterns in transitions and system innovations: Refining the co-evolutionary multi-level perspective. Technological forecasting and social change, 72(6), 681-696. (Link)
  • Elzen, B., Geels, F. W., Hofman, P. S., & Green, K. (2004). Socio-technical scenarios as a tool for transition policy: an example from the traffic and transport domain. System innovation and the transition to sustainability: Theory, evidence and policy, 251-281. (Link)
  • Geels, F. W., Berkhout, F., & Van Vuuren, D. P. (2016). Bridging analytical approaches for low-carbon transitions. Nature climate change, 6(6), 576-583. (Link)
  • Geels, F. W. (2002). Understanding the dynamics of technological transitions. A co-evolutionary and socio-technical analysis. (Link to details of PHD Thesis)

Access research topics here:

  • Back to Research Index home page (click here)
  • The big picture – the challenge of climate change and aviation emissions (click here)
  • Aotearoa’s tourism sector grapples with sustainability (click here)
  • The aviation industry’s biggest challenge (click here)
  • “Low carbon aviation”: aviation efficiency and technology myths (click here)
  • Aviation: moral arguments and climate equity (click here)
  • Policy considerations to reduce carbon emissions (click here)
  • Infrastructure trajectories with positive long term outcomes (click here)
  • Behavioural and attitudinal change to reduce emissions (click here)
  • Economic consequences of (in)action on climate change (click here)

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