Sustainability Transition Theories: Perpetuating or Breaking with the Status Quo

How scientists frame problems impact the solutions offered. Since the late 1940s, with the help of scientists, progress and development have been equated with modernization, the adoption of technologies, and economic growth. Contrasting to this technocentric view on development and progress an ecocentric view has developed since the 1960s. This was, amongst others, the result of increasing environmental problems. Despite the criticism of technocentric views and increasing evidence that human societies are not reaching their environmental and social goals, technocentric views have remained predominant in the sustainable development discourse. Using a Kuhnian lens, the divide between technocentric and ecocentric perspectives can be framed as distinct paradigms within the sustainable development discourse. This paper outlines the continuation of the ecocentric versus technocentric worldview divide within sustainability transition studies. It also shows that the technocentric view is predominant. The paper concludes that socio-technical transition theory fails to break with technocentric and growth-focused approaches to progress and development.