Theorising pathways to sustainability

ABSTRACT

Using a Pathways approach, controversies over environmental and natural resource management are viewed as expressions of alternative, or competing, pathways to sustainability. This supports deeper understanding of the underlying causes of natural resource management controversies. The framework is composed of two elements: the STEPS (Social, Technological, and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) Pathways approach and frame analysis. Many sustainable development dilemmas are played out in specific places and consequently, the Pathways approach is integrated with a place-based frame analysis. The resulting framework guides empirical investigation in place-based contexts. This theorising about sustainability science can be used to cast light on contested natural resource management issues, in this case mining in northern Sweden. By exposing the range of alternative Pathways to critical norms of sustainable development, we ascertain whether action alternatives are compatible with sustainable futures. The framework provides a way in which sustainability science can better understand the origins of natural resource management conflicts, characterise the positions of the actors involved, identify the potential for cooperation between stakeholders leading to policy resolution and judge what Pathways help or hinder the pursuit of sustainable development. In addition, it can enhance sustainability science by guiding integrative sustainability research at the project scale.

KEYWORDS:

• Pathways to sustainability
• sustainable development
• frame analysis
• place
• sustainability science
• natural resource management

Acknowledgement

We thank Agneta Setterwall and all actors who have participated in the research meetings in Storuman municipality.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. At present, the terms ‘sustainable development’ and ‘sustainability’ are taken as synonymous. We are aware of the conceptual differences between sustainability as a long-term goal, that is a more sustainable world; while sustainable development refers to the many processes to achieve it, for example sustainable agriculture and forestry, sustainable production and consumption, good government, research and technology transfer, education and training, institutional and systemic change, etc.

Additional information

Funding

The research was funded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency as part of its research program Storslagna fjäll (Magnificent Mountains, www.storslagnafjall.se).