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Background For a successful transition to a sustainable energy system, not only technical but also social innovations are required. A major challenge to social innovation research is how to translate the social innovation from a novelty with big potential into a mainstream practice. The multilevel perspective (MLP) of socio-technical transitions provides a heuristic to understand how niches can potentially break through to the regime level. In this paper, we examine in how far a multilevel perspective approach is suited to analyze and better understand diffusion trajectories of social rather than technological innovations, taking a social practice theory perspective. Five example projects, selected among the top social innovations for the Energiewende in North Rhine-Westphalia, are analyzed. We discuss to what extend the MLP provides a helpful tool to understand the transition processes. Results Social innovations can be very divers. We find that the MLP does not offer a one-size-fits-all framework for the analysis of the diffusion of social innovations. The MLP proves applicable only in those cases where the social innovation (1) can lead to a system change and (2) has a clear competing or symbiotic relationship with an existing regime. Conclusions Social innovations that aim to be transformative in the sense that they have the goal to be system changing (rather than incremental) can be analyzed along the heuristics of the MLP. For this type of social innovation, the MLP can be fruitful to learn to better understand the diffusion dynamics of social innovation and the barriers and drivers they might face. However, for social innovations that aim at incremental improvements without challenging the existing system, the MLP cannot be applied to study the diffusion process.

The relationship between energy and capital is one of the most important aspects of modern economic growth. Machines need energy to produce all the goods we enjoy; energy would be far less useful for humankind in absence of machines. However, the great majority of the economic models do not take into account the elasticities of substitution (or complementaries) between these two main variables. Actually, energy is absent in many growth models and discussions on diverging economic development paths. We approach this relevant issue from a new perspective: energy and capital relations during 100 years. We use the latest estimations of capital stock (machinery and equipment) and energy consumption for Latin America and compare them with those of Western Europe. The energy–capital ratio (how much energy is used per unit of capital) could be a predictor of economic growth, thus providing stylised facts about the timing and causes of the different modernisation patterns of these regions and showing us some answers on the long-run relationship between energy consumption and capital accumulation. Cristián Ducoing acknowledges the funding by Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), Chile, with the project PAI:82130021 and Jan Wallanders och Tom Hedelius Stiftelse samt Tore Browaldhs Stiftelse ‘Engines for sustainability. Horsepower prices, capital substitution and energy transitions in the long run’. Mar Rubio acknowledges the financial support by Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte Spanish Government, project HAR2017-86086-R.

Sustainable innovation (SI) is a wide and multifaceted concept, the complex nature and definition of which is continuous and the subject of many questions and debates. This is probably the main reason why developing a framework for the assessment and management of SI is simultaneously a pioneering and a challenging endeavour. This book introduces the CASI Framework (CASI-F), which aims to assist in the assessment and management of SI by facilitating the identification of SI critical issues and inducing policy-oriented responses to address these issues. The book targets two different objectives. The first is to provide a critical perspective on the use of CASI-F. The second is to extract and present policy messages obtained through the varied mobilisation and mutual learning activities developed within the CASI project to conceive the framework. The framework has been developed and conceptually informed by three key sources of knowledge (or tracks), namely existing SI initiatives (as described in Chapter 4), current SI policy developments (Chapter 5) and the visions and aspirations of citizens (Chapter 6). The importance of engaging and mobilising relevant actors across these tracks is analysed and discussed in the remaining chapters. The perspectives of four key stakeholders, corresponding to government, businesses, civil society and research/education sectors, have been considered in the development and application of CASI-F. The book recognises that the benefits of using the framework are various for each SI actor. With CASI-F government representatives can, for example, explore and analyse SI practices in their areas of political influence; implement policies that directly address specific SI critical issues; establish the conditions that allow the implementation of actions by innovative firms; review existing SI developments and policies and/or orientate research and innovation funding more efficiently according to the expected agendas of citizens. The framework also aims to be a valuable instrument for SI businesses. By using CASI-F, firms can better identify new market opportunities; refine their innovation strategies; reinforce their SI management capabilities and effectively align their products and services to citizens’ interests. For civil society actors, CASI-F may help citizens to discover new products, services and social initiatives, as well as understand new research and innovation priorities. With CASI-F civil institutions may also react in a more timely and adequate manner to those policies that imply either positive or negative social consequences, thus aligning more faithfully their strategies, as institutions, to eventual changes. The interest of research and education actors in using CASI-F lies in the potential of the framework to support both research and lecturing developments. The CASI database, CASIPEDIA, offers multiple possibilities for SI case study assessment and empirical analysis across countries and sectors, thus facilitating benchmarking. New policy areas and sustainability issues, for instance, can be identified through the analysis of the components of the CASI-F platform, namely ideas, policy briefs, visions, actions, and roadmap banks. The book reflects a critical journey through the application of the framework. On the journey some relevant messages have emerged that may orientate the actions of SI policy makers.