Passing the baton: How intermediaries advance sustainability transitions in different phases

TLDR

Intermediaries—actors that connect multiple stakeholders—have gained attention for their role in facilitating sustainability transitions across various sectors. This study investigates how the necessity and functions of intermediation differ across distinct phases of a transition. The authors combine transition dynamics models with a typology of intermediaries and illustrate the approach using car clubs, heat pumps, and low‑energy housing examples. Intermediation proves essential from pre‑development through stabilization, shifting from experimental support and need articulation to knowledge aggregation, resource pooling, network building, and institutional capacity building during acceleration.

Abstract

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to intermediaries, actors connecting multiple other actors, in transition processes. Research has highlighted that intermediary actors (e.g. innovation funders, energy agencies, NGOs, membership organisations, or internet discussion forums) operate in many levels to advance transitions. We argue that intermediation, and the need for it, varies during the course of transition. Yet, little explicit insight exists on intermediation in different transition phases. We integrate existing conceptual models on transition dynamics and phases and a typology of transition intermediaries to examine how intermediaries advance transitions in different phases. We illustrate our conceptual insights through examples from car clubs, heat pumps and low-energy housing. We conclude that intermediation is paramount from predevelopment to stabilisation of a transition. Intermediary functions change from supporting experimentation and articulation of needs in predevelopment, to the aggregation of knowledge, pooling resources, network building and stronger institutional support and capacity building in acceleration.