Integrated Assessment Modelling and Socio-Technical Transition in Europe

The research introduces an interdisciplinary approach that uses 'transition narratives' as a bridge between socio-technical transition studies and integrated assessment modelling. By applying a multi-level perspective, the authors developed two contrasting narratives for the European Union's 80% greenhouse gas emission reduction target by 2050: one driven by incumbent actors and large-scale innovation, and another driven by new entrants and alternative strategies. The study concludes that while both pathways meet the 2050 objective, both require a substantial departure from current known systems.

• The study identifies the 'transition narrative' as the primary analytical mechanism to connect qualitative socio-technical transition research with quantitative integrated assessment modelling.
• Two distinct transition narratives were developed to meet the EU's 2050 goal: one focusing on incumbent-led large-scale innovation and another focusing on new entrants utilizing alternative strategies and opposing large-scale technologies.
• Both developed transition pathways are consistent with the European Union's 2050 low-carbon goals, yet both represent a significant shift away from existing systems.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2021). Integrated Assessment Modelling and Socio-Technical Transition in Europe. https://www.sei.org/publications/integrated-assessment-modelling-socio-technical-transition-europe/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Integrated Assessment Modelling and Socio-Technical Transition in Europe. 2021. https://www.sei.org/publications/integrated-assessment-modelling-socio-technical-transition-europe/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Integrated Assessment Modelling and Socio-Technical Transition in Europe |date=2 February 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/integrated-assessment-modelling-socio-technical-transition-europe/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2021integrated, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Integrated Assessment Modelling and Socio-Technical Transition in Europe}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/integrated-assessment-modelling-socio-technical-transition-europe/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }