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The discursive silos of transport discourse in Sweden: Using future storylines to understand the polarization and politicization of sustainable aviation transitions
Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping SE-581 83, Sweden.
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Management & Technology. Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Institute for Global Sustainability, Boston University, Boston, United States.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8508-4212
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Sustainability, Industrial Dynamics & Entrepreneurship. SCANCOR, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, USA.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3021-0220
2026 (English)In: Futures: The journal of policy, planning and futures studies, ISSN 0016-3287, E-ISSN 1873-6378, Vol. 176, article id 103755Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Within the multi-level perspective (MLP) on sustainability transitions, there has been a rise in research on storylines and discursive framing that have become more central in understanding how competing narratives shape the trajectories of innovation. This paper examines how policy actors and stakeholders construct and frame competing scenario narratives of sustainable aviation futures. Using a scenario narrative framing approach, we analyze empirical data from focus groups and interviews with Swedish aviation sector actors. The findings reveal a discursive split: one set of narratives supports an active state fostering sustainable aviation through niche innovation (aligned with ecological modernism), while another advocates for limiting aviation altogether (reflecting green theory). These national narratives are contrasted by a multilateral, risk-averse discourse calling for international or EU-level decision-making processes. Our results highlight a deeper divide — scenario narratives are polarized and politicized, with transport mode innovations increasingly tied to political identities. Centre-right actors tend to support aviation innovation over rail, while green and Centre-left actors often argue the reverse. This politicization reflects broader discursive struggles, as seen in debates such as the proposed closure of Västerås regional airport and Bromma airport. This includes dissuading tourists who use aircrafts, excluding aviation from approaches to collective traffic and lacking integration in any public transport system. This leads to aviation being perceived neither as private nor collective transport in discourses and as ambivalent in policies.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV , 2026. Vol. 176, article id 103755
National Category
Environmental Management
Research subject
Industrial Economics and Management
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-375163DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2025.103755ISI: 001650187900001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105025257137OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-375163DiVA, id: diva2:2026365
Projects
SETA - Sustainable Energy Transformations in Aviation
Funder
Swedish Energy AgencySwedish Energy Agency
Note

QC 20260109

Available from: 2026-01-09 Created: 2026-01-09 Last updated: 2026-01-09Bibliographically approved

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Nordensvärd, JohanUrban, Frauke

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
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  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
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More languages
Output format
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  • asciidoc
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