Handbook of Green Economics

Chapter 3

Long waves and the sustainability transition

Mark Swilling

Abstract

There is broad agreement that the global political economy faces multiple interconnected crises, including climate change, resource depletion, rising inequality, and the threat of another financial crisis. Yet, at the same time, the preamble of the Sustainable Development Goals refers to the global commitment to achieving a “transformed world.” The passage between crisis and transformation is about transition. However, while there is extensive analysis of the crisis and large quantities of policy recommendations, there is relatively little understanding of the highly complex dynamics of transition. This chapter addresses this challenge by bringing together ...