Destabilization-to-phase out (D2P)
While innovation has long been central to sustainability transitions research (STR), recent years have seen a growing interest in the processes by which specific socio-technical arrangements come to an end. These processes are captured in concepts such as decline, destabilisation, discontinuation, de-institutionalisation, phase-out, exnovation, unlearning and incumbency (to name just a few). Although sustainability transitions research (STR) has always recognised these processes as an inevitable and important dimension of transitions, only recently has a focused research theme emerged to better understand how and under which conditions regimes become destabilised, lock-ins are unlocked, and particular technologies or practices decline or are actively discontinued by stepwise phase-out or abrupt abandonment. Moreover, processes of D2P also bring up questions relating to the politics of transformation, issues of justice in decline and care for the socio-technical remains after decline. In addressing these issues, we seek to appreciate both analytical and normative dimensions of D2P. The thematic group on Destabilisation, Discontinuation and Phase-Out (D2P) aims to establish these issues more firmly as an independent and visible research cluster within STR, enabling regular exchange and dialogue between researchers and among researchers and practitioners working on real-world processes of decline. Moreover, to enrich conceptual developments both within STR and in neighbouring fields, the TG aims to establish D2P as a ‘trading zone’—a conceptual and social space where members from different research communities collaborate and exchange ideas, methods, and practices.
Conceptual focus areas
The Thematic Group (TG) aims to address several key areas for further conceptual development:
- Governance and politics: The TG seeks to engage with questions around the governance and politics of destabilisation, discontinuation, and decline. These include extent to, circumstances under, and means by which processes of decline can be governed, as well as their acute political dimension.
- Processes: The TG seeks to convene discussions around processes of decline as distinct facets of transitions, based on empirical examples of how socio-technical configurations come to an end, or are projected to come to an end.
- Justice: Questions of justice are prominent in processes of decline and destabilisation. The TG seeks to address issues like representation (whose voices and perceptions of sustainability count in processes of decline), impacts (potential hardships from destabilisation outcomes), and aftercare (how to deal with ruins, waste and other remnants of decline).
- Methods: The TG aims to facilitate discussions about what methods and research designs are particularly suited for research on destabilisation and discontinuation governance, especially with a view to move beyond single- or small-n studies; including past, present and future case studies.
Planned activities
While the TG is currently forming, we plan the following activities:
- Conference tracks: The TG will coordinate and submit applications for tracks at different conferences (e.g. IST, EU-SPRI, EASST).
- Webinar series: We are running a series of online colloquia with researchers and practitioners on topics related to D2P, starting in 2025.
- Specialised workshops: in the future, the TG seeks to organise (hybrid) invitational workshops on particular topics related to D2P. The first of these are planned for 2025.
- ECR activities: the TG aims to develop activities or facilitate space for young scholars to initiate collaboration around topics related to D2P
Contact
If you are interested in contributing, please get in touch with transitions.d2p@gmail.com.