Analysing transitions in-the-making: A case study of aviation in Sweden

The aim of this paper is to analyse contemporary transitions in the aviation industry in Sweden. We take a durational perspective to consider narratives as coordinating mechanism in sustain-ability transitions. We find that industry actors are constructing narratives for alternative aircraft fuels and technologies as they seek to maintain aviation's societal function whilst mitigating its climate impact. By reconciling memories of the past with their expectations for the future, narratives act to coordinate actors' transition activities in the present. In this way, narrative are more than an initiator of transitions, but constitute paths in-the-making, highlighting the agency of actors in enacting change in the present and shaping sustainability transitions of the future.

Automated summary

This paper analyzes the transitions in the aviation industry in Sweden and examines the role of narratives as coordinating mechanisms in sustainability transitions. The study finds that industry actors construct narratives about alternative fuels and technologies to maintain the societal function of aviation while mitigating its climate impact. Narratives not only initiate transitions but also play a vital role in coordinating actors' transition activities.