Search Climate Insights Directory
1 result
Identifying opportunities and pathways for transitions to sustainable transport in Sweden and the UK
The paper argues that incremental improvements are insufficient to address the unsustainability of current road transport, which is locked into a regime of oil and car dependence. Using a multi-level perspective, the authors identify three 'niches' for radical innovation: novel vehicle/fuel technologies (Niche 1), a shift from product ownership to mobility services (Niche 2), and post-industrial lifestyles that reduce overall travel demand (Niche 3). In Sweden, Niche 1 is seen as reaching a 'take-off' phase, particularly with biofuels and hybrids, supported by a history of niche experiments and targeted policies. In the UK, the transition is slower and more 'technology push' driven, though congestion charging in London is highlighted as a successful intervention. The authors conclude that a sustainable future requires the co-evolution and 'niche-accumulation' of all three pathways, as technology alone cannot solve social issues like congestion or obesity, nor can it fully mitigate climate change without demand reduction.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper