Governing Transitions

This chapter argues that the development of capitalist economies into fair and inclusive societies demands transitional change. The novel vision of green transition evolved in several stages from early focus on environmental values and critique of industrial society for exceeding limits to growth, to green growth and eco-modernity. In earlier work we have shown how these developments in turn stimulated new business models, which brought CO₂ reduction into the centre of business strategy. Forging governance for green transition at the city level is therefore often as important as engagement at the national level, and may be equally important for industrial development. The critique of distributive unfairness and poor work conditions under the gig economy warrants the need for a new paradigm, much like under the early stages of the green transition. Governance of transitional change in democratic societies will necessarily involve broad mobilization of both the public and private economy, but also civil society.