The aim of this paper is to analyse contemporary transitions in the aviation industry in Sweden. We take a durational perspective to consider narratives as coordinating mechanism in sustainability transitions. We find that industry actors are constructing narratives for alternative aircraft fuels and technologies as they seek to maintain aviation's societal function whilst mitigating its climate impact. By reconciling memories of the past with their expectations for the future, narratives act to coordinate actors’ transition activities in the present. In this way, narrative are more than an initiator of transitions, but constitute paths in-the-making, highlighting the agency of actors in enacting change in the present and shaping sustainability transitions of the future.

The literature on socio-technical transitions has advanced our understanding of transitions toward sustainability but sometimes overlooks the sustainability consequences of such transitions. A case in point is the burden-shifting phenomenon, a consequence that can occur when efforts to minimize a problem in one context have unintended negative impacts on another. In this article, we adopt a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to quantitatively assess the burden-shifting potential of a transition case toward sustainable aviation fuel in Sweden. Our assessment demonstrates how an emerging sustainability transition can result in unintended spatiotemporal impacts, taking into account complex relationships between multiple socio-technical systems. By doing so, we provide an alternative way to study the sustainability of transitions, complementing the mainstream transition studies that have mostly studied the transitions toward sustainability. In addition, we propose collaborative research approaches, which introduce LCA methodology into transition studies, transcending disciplinary boundaries when engaging questions of environmental sustainability of ‘sustainability’ transitions.

Aviation accounts for approximately five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions through the combustion of fossil fuels. This paper analyses the opportunities and challenges of mitigation measures in limiting travel volume, energy and emission intensity to reduce the climate impact of aviation in Sweden. Several measures are in place that aim to reduce the climate impact of the aviation industry, ranging from regulations to technology alternatives to fossil-based jet fuel. These measures face several crosscutting challenges, many of which are of a socio-economic and political nature, and these aspects are often neglected in favour of focusing on technological solutions. The market creation for alternatives to fossil-based jet fuel is a major challenge, as most consumers today have a limited awareness of and willingness to pay for these innovations. Policy measures in place are proven ineffective in incentivising change. An understanding of the industry as a socio-technical system is required. The value of this review is its broader consideration of the pathways to reduce aviation's climate impact, offering new perspectives and pointing to areas for further research considering all components, their interactions and interdependence.

Ambitious fossil-free targets imposed on the aviation industry worldwide demand a large volumetric supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to meet. Sweden's commitment to a 30% volume SAF blending target by 2030 attracts interest in local production. However, the sustainability of local production is largely unknown. Addressing this gap, we aim to explore potential SAF technology pathways and assess their environmental performances in Sweden. To do so, we utilize a socio-technical system (STS) approach for pathways selection and prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) for environmental impact assessment. As a result, we identify two lignocellulosic-based and two electrofuel-based pathways and evaluate their global warming potential, mineral depletion potential, ionizing radiation, land use, freshwater ecotoxicity and human toxicity impact in comparison to jet fuel. Our findings show that the well-to-wake global warming potential (100 years) of 30% SAF is on average 20% lower than that of jet fuel, with non-carbon dioxide species emitted in flight being the major contributors, prompting the need for urgent research efforts to mitigate their potential impacts. Under the assumption that no burdens are allocated to waste material used as feedstock, lignocellulosic-based 100% SAF has a well-to-pump climate impact (100 years) ranging from 0.6 to 1.5 g CO2−eq/MJ compared to jet fuel's 10.5 g CO2−eq/MJ. In contrast, the well-to-pump climate impact (100 years) of electrofuel-based 100% SAF (ranging from 7.8 to 8.2 g CO2−eq/MJ) is only marginally lower than that of jet fuel, mainly attributed to emissions from steel and concrete produced for wind turbine manufacturing. In general, the use of electricity generated by wind power could shift the potential environmental burden associated with jet fuel from global warming to mineral depletion, land use, freshwater ecotoxicity and human toxicity. The STS approach underscores the need to prioritize changes in systems underpinning SAF production, in turn supporting policy and investment decision making.

Deep decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries, such as steel production, will be required to achieve the European Union's climate targets. Green hydrogen technology has the potential to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from iron and steelmaking to nearly zero and mitigate climate change from the industrial sector. The paper is based on an ongoing case in Sweden, where the established firms SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall are operating the HYBRIT joint venture. This paper aims to explore the conditions for transferring this technology from Sweden to three primary steel producing countries in Europe: Germany, France and Italy. As a theoretical point of departure, we integrate some concepts from the multi-level perspective and technology transfer theories to better understand transition pathways for hydrogen-based steel production in Europe. We use a case study methodology, including the analysis of more than 20 qualitative interviews and secondary data. The findings of the study conclude that the Swedish iron and steel industry is unique in many ways, yet other European countries are rapidly catching up in hydrogen-based steel production, particularly Germany. Sweden however remains unique in its nearly zero carbon electricity generation and low-cost electricity prices, which can enable green hydrogen production throughout the country. In order to overcome the barriers and create an enabling environment for hydrogen-based steel production, it is key that energy and industry transitions are aligned, that a policy framework that supports these transitions is in place, and that key actors representing all aspects of these transitions cooperate, from industry and research, to academia, policymakers, and civil society.

An increasing body of literature on sustainability transitions addresses the business strategies of incumbents but overlooks upstream companies. By addressing this gap, we aim to explore how upstream incumbents navigate sustainability transitions. Theoretically, we introduce an industry value chain perspective, integrating the concepts of center of gravity, patterns of strategic change and organizational adaptation. Empirically, we conduct an in-depth case study of how an up- stream incumbent firm navigates the established value chain for lead-acid batteries and the emerging value chain for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. The company faces a dilemma as to whether and how to maintain a vertically integrated position in the established value chain, and how and when to expand into the emerging value chain. We argue and demonstrate that for upstream companies, navigating sustainability transitions is highly dependent on the anticipation of and adaptation to the complex changes in industry value chains.

The sustainability transitions literature addresses globally pressing sustainability challenges. However, the scholars in the field trend towards using the term "sustainability" in a manner that is not reflexive, often just assuming that the studied cases contribute to more sustainable modes of production and consumption. In this paper, we suggest an alternative: a reflexive sustainability perspective that takes into account case selection issue, sources of unsustainability, double-edged sword dilemma, and boundary problem. Using this perspective as our starting point, we conduct a case survey, analyzing the extent to which such a perspective is considered in a number of selected case-based transition studies. We find that the deeper reasons for unsustainability and alternative sustainability solutions are often overlooked, sustainability trade-offs are mostly not considered, and the potential sustainability effects beyond the case boundaries are typically not reflected on. Based on these considerations, we provide scholars with some implications and suggestions on how to reflect on their own sustainability assumptions and contribute to more reflexive scholarship in the future.

To navigate sustainability transitions, firms are often prompted to take an active role in business model innovation. Previous research has shown, however, that when attempting to change business models, incumbent firms frequently face challenges concerning the ambiguity of transition pathways. This paper is an inquiry into this intersection between business model innovation and sustainability transitions. Anchored in three case studies of sustainability-driven, pre-commercial projects of emerging technologies, it reveals how groups of organizations collaborate in time-limited, cross-industry networks, to explore potential business models for anticipated, profound, changes in socio-technical systems. Drawing on these findings, the paper introduces the concept of experimental networks and illustrates how experimental networks can facilitate business model innovation in relation to systemic change. By outlining the constituents of the experimental network concept, the paper contributes to theory by uncovering the interplay of interorganizational collaboration and network level business model innovation. In addition, it reveals how experimental networks constitute one way for incumbents to claim agency with respect to emerging sustainability transitions.

Diffusion is the phenomenon of how innovations spread from one adopter to others in a spatiotemporal domain, that is, over both space and time. To a degree, any breakthrough can be considered as innovative if it is construed as novel and new from the adopter's perspective. Diffusion research has existed for more than a century and the concept has been applied to apprehend and explains the spread of a wide variety of innovations. This article presents a brief history of diffusion research and notes the application of the concept to three specific research strands. The first strand is adopter perceptions on the characteristics of innovations and how perceived attributes affect the potential adopter's decision-making. The second focuses upon change agents and their locations, how change agents influence the decision process of potential adopters and why their locations matter. The last strand explains how adoption decisions are translated into spatiotemporal diffusion patterns.

Biogas as an energy carrier can play an important role in low carbon energy transitions. However, in some countries, biogas technologies are just starting to be used, while in others a more mature stage has been reached. Such heterogeneous development raises a basic question: what are the driving forces behind biogas technologies? In order to address this question, we conduct a systematic literature review on seven mature biogas markets: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. As a result, we synthesize our findings under a typology of what we call system drivers – i.e. drivers of technological innovation systems – and conceptually explain their potential links to system functions. Based on the findings from 42 systematically selected publications and some grey literature, we categorize the system drivers under four interrelated groups (1) proaction to challenges, (2) policy support, (3) cooperation and (4) capability of technology. We argue that the notion of ‘system drivers’ sheds some light on why socio-technical transitions are ahead in particular sectors in certain countries. In doing so, we extend the previous literature on the functions of technological innovation systems, which previously has offered limited explanations on the causal mechanisms behind socio-technical transitions. In addition, we offer some suggestions for policymakers and practitioners who seek to initiate or expand the diffusion of biogas technologies.