Discourse and Practice of Transitions in International Policymaking on Resource Efficiency in the EU

Abstract

For a number of years now, ‘transitions’ has been the new buzzword in international policy-making. The emergence of an international transitions discourse is linked to debates on the green economy and a low carbon society, and is manifested within the UN system as well as in EU discussions. Does the apparent political appeal of a concept that introduces fundamental changes mean more than the superficial use of the word ‘transition’? And how far is it also translated into policy? This chapter analyses international policy initiatives from the perspective of sustainability transitions, with the aim of moving towards a better understanding of the potential role of international policy-making in current and future transitions. A case study of the European Commission’s policy initiatives on resource efficiency demonstrates a remarkably strong awareness of transitions thinking, consistently integrated into the discourse with the intention of creating a sense of urgency and convincing other actors of the need for fundamental change. Furthermore, transitions thinking has served as the inspiration for a number of principles, goals and instruments, such as the European Resource Efficiency Platform.