2023 journal article
Historical industrial transitions influence local sustainability planning, capability, and performance
Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 46, 100690.
author keywords: Sustainability transitions; Subnational governance; Manufacturing; County government; Historical institutionalism
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
(Web of Science)
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
(Web of Science)
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
(Web of Science)
13. Climate Action
(Web of Science)
Source: Crossref
Added: January 29, 2023
We evaluate the influence of long-term industrial transitions on local sustainability action. We construct two aspects of historical industrial transitions—direction and magnitude—along with three aspects of local government sustainability action: planning, capabilities, and performance. Using a national survey of local sustainability practice and nearly five decades of historical manufacturing employment data in the U.S., we find local communities with more substantial swings in manufacturing jobs to be less likely to engage in sustainability planning, cultivate sustainability-related capabilities, and make progress towards meeting sustainability-related objectives, underscoring the potential challenges associated with top-down programs and the importance of decentralized solutions.