Meeting human needs within planetary boundaries – a provisioning systems perspective on clean transitions

The document introduces the 'provisioning systems' framework as a tool to analyze how human needs are met without exceeding planetary boundaries. It argues that simple policy tools like carbon pricing are insufficient because they ignore the systemic interdependencies between material stocks, techniques, and institutional elements (households, markets, the commons, and the state). Through examples of cellphone charging and mobility (road vs. air transport), the authors demonstrate how different techno-economic paradigms create different barriers to decarbonization. The paper concludes that transformative change requires multi-scalar, reflexive governance and policy portfolios that address systemic lock-ins and ensure a just transition for both producers and consumers.

• Provisioning systems are defined as the interconnected set of institutional and technological elements that transform resources to satisfy human needs, acting as the link between the biophysical resource base and social outcomes.
• The framework identifies six core elements of provisioning systems: technological elements (material stocks and techniques) and institutional elements (households, markets, the commons, and the state).
• Comparing cellphone charging methods reveals that grid-based power and portable solar PV operate under entirely different techno-economic paradigms; the former is a capital-intensive utility model dominated by the state and markets, while the latter functions more like a mass-manufactured consumer appliance.
• Decarbonization pathways for mobility differ fundamentally by mode: road transport can shift to a new techno-economic paradigm via battery electrification, whereas air transport is limited by high energy density requirements, meaning most reductions must occur within the existing combustion paradigm using more expensive alternative fuels.
• Traditional policies focusing on eco-efficiencies and individual consumer choices have failed because absolute increases in demand have outweighed efficiency gains.
• Effective systemic change requires moving beyond piecemeal approaches like carbon pricing toward 'policy portfolios' that address systemic lock-ins, such as restrictive legal requirements, dominant cultural values, and powerful actors in 'appropriating systems' that extract rents for elites.

APA

Olsson, O., & Dawkins, E. (2022). Meeting human needs within planetary boundaries – a provisioning systems perspective on clean transitions. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/provisioning-systems-stockholm50backgroundpaper.pdf

Chicago

Olsson, Olle, and Elena Dawkins. Meeting human needs within planetary boundaries – a provisioning systems perspective on clean transitions. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2022. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/provisioning-systems-stockholm50backgroundpaper.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olsson |first1=Olle |last2=Dawkins |first2=Elena |title=Meeting human needs within planetary boundaries – a provisioning systems perspective on clean transitions |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/provisioning-systems-stockholm50backgroundpaper.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olsson2022meeting, author = {Olsson, Olle and Dawkins, Elena}, title = {{Meeting human needs within planetary boundaries – a provisioning systems perspective on clean transitions}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/provisioning-systems-stockholm50backgroundpaper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }