CRISP · CReating Innovative Sustainability Pathways

The core objective of this proposal is to identify potential paths to engaging on an integrated effort to support the transition, to a sustainable, low carbon Europe. The call text places much emphasis of using a scenario and backcasting approach that explicitly discerns individuals, organisations and the collective (societal and economic organisation), addresses the interaction of agency and structure, and analyses from there how individuals and collectives can be engaged on sustainable paths, and how new policy mixes and co-operation mechanisms can overcome barriers to change. In response, this project will:•build upon theories that explicitly link individual and organizational agency with structure and pathways of change (most notably Transition theory, that builds upon structuration and innovation theories) (WP1).•analyse practical (past) cases of change with this framework (WP2 and WP3) to additional understanding on the role of agency and structure and related barriers, drivers and pathways of change (WP4).•apply novel participatory scenario techniques, most notably transition scenario and backcasting methodologies, to develop sustainability visions WP5) and transition paths (WP6). These allow for specific analysis of processes in transition paths and the factors that drive and hinder such transitions (WP7).•Finally, on the basis of the analysis of the theoretical basis and cases (WP4) and the results of the scenario/backcasting exercise (WP7), the core question of the call can be answered (WP8): what novel policy mixes and co-operation mechanisms can help to overcome barriers for individuals and collectives to engage on sustainable paths.The project is completed by WPs on Management and Dissemination. The impact of the findings of the project is enhanced by its strong participatory approach and an elaborated dissemination program that includes a policy stakeholder panel.