Establishing framework: Sustainable transition towards a low-carbon economy

Abstract

With increasing recognition of the issue of global climate change, greater attention is being focused on governments’, businesses’ and consumers’ behaviour in order to develop more sustainable ways to satisfy society’s needs. This transition is gradually evolving throughout all global economic systems. With this in mind, this chapter proposes a conceptual framework to support the analysis of low-carbon initiatives at national and regional levels. It explores the literature on sustainability transitions and identification of relevant factors that affect the transition of economies towards a more sustainable way to produce and to consume, while the chapter concludes with a review of regional innovation systems that serve as a catalyst for sustainability transition.