Opportunities and limits of cooperatives in times of socio-ecological transformation

Abstract

Cooperatives offer promising conditions for an economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable future, even more so as several recent societal trends favor a stabilization and even a boom in collective approaches with long(er)-term outcomes. Based on recent research results on German cooperatives, and with a focus on practical approaches to local climate protection, this chapter analyzes actual and potential roles of cooperatives in transition processes towards more sustainable societies.