State of the Special Feature topic and relevance

Our Special Feature addresses sufficiency as a crucial and complex sustainability strategy that requires attention to both actor level and structural processes simultaneously (Akenji et al. 2021; Sandberg 2021; Tröger and Reese 2021). Sufficiency presents a concept, which can potentially complement or even challenge current efforts to build sustainable economies (Jungell-Michelsson and Heikurinnen 2022). The concept is manifested in individual consumption reduction and behavioral change (microeconomics), which is supported by a transition towards more just intra- and intergenerational distribution of affluence (macroeconomics) (Spangenberg and Lorek 2019; Jungell-Michelsson and Heikurinen 2022). Sufficiency in production signifies a paradigm shift in business logics (microeconomics) and organizing economic activity in society (macroeconomics) (Jungell-Michelsson and Heikkurinen 2022).  Achieving sufficiency goals within consumption and production systems involves nonlinear interactions between multiple actors on multiple system levels, temporal and spatial scales (Feola et al. 2021; Jungell-Michelsson and Heikkurinen 2022; Schäpke and Rauschmayer 2014). Actors' contributions—e.g., those of governments, businesses, consumers, and local organizations—are often interdependent, with system change requiring actors' combined efforts. As such, successful transitions demand clarity on actor influence and on the intersections of different actor influence spheres and responsibilities—as emphasized in recent publications, see e.g., Guerrero Lara et al. (2023) and Liao et al. (2023). However, actors’ influence over consumption and well-being levels is often not considered systemically, in ways that identify where one actor’s influence ends and another’s begins, and where these overlap (O’Brien 2018). The latter zone is what we define as “The Intersections of Influence” (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Sufficiency Matrix with four dimensions derived from two time frames and two goals

Full size image

Contemporary sufficiency initiatives and research often fall short of combining insights to coordinate actor roles, mainly due to diverging disciplinary perspectives (see e.g., Wallnoefer 2022) and the prevailing “micro–macro divide” or “structure–agency gap” (Bengtsson et al. 2018; Jungell-Michelsson and Heikkurinen 2022; López Cifuentes et al. 2023; Upham et al. 2020). Sufficiency research is then often disintegrated, focusing on different goals and time frames, failing to capture what sufficiency entails for system actors. This creates issues not only with discerning and assigning actor responsibilities but also with stakeholder acceptance and political legitimacy for the transition (e.g., Adolff and Neckel 2019).

Aims and scope of the special feature

In line with an aim of Sustainability Science, i.e., to compile the often fragmented ideas for solutions into more integrated forms, our Special Feature proposal introduces a conceptual approach—“The Intersections of Influence” (Fig. 1)—to consider in a more integrated, systematic way: (a) which actors have influence in contexts of relevance to sufficiency (which may also be shared); (b) over what resources or phenomena this influence is exerted; and (c) under which structural and motivational conditions, across different consumption and production systems.

The contribution of the Special Feature is thus its focus on, and recognition of: (1) the need to realize sufficiency via (a) actors' behaviors (i.e., roles and activities), as impacted by their experiences (i.e., interpretations and motivations) and norms—with particular reference to actors who hold power over others (e.g., Eliasson et al. (2022)); (b) to associated resources, and (c) structures that uphold distributions of influence while; (2) distinguishing proximal vs. root causes to barriers, see e.g., Tröger and Reese (2021); and (3) considering how the above overlap in terms of multiple types and forms of structure and agency (hence ‘intersections’). Consequently, contributions to this special issue should consider who needs to take what kind of action and how to align those actions with those of other relevant system actors for the desired outcomes. Moreover, as to motivations and narratives, without clarity about both potential actor benefits and barriers, the perpetuated framing of “sacrifices” as associated with sufficiency will continue to give rise to a systemic unwillingness to take action, i.e., reducing consumption levels (Schäpke and Rauschmayer 2014; Vogel et al. 2021), particularly for individuals in their role as consumers. Hence, we encourage contributions that highlight actors’ motivations, rewards, and challenges as socio-culturally situated individuals in the context of sufficiency.

Research on sufficiency assumes different time frames (e.g., current state vs. desired end state) and goals (e.g., reduced consumption levels or stakeholder outcomes), which strongly impact any conclusions regarding actor influence. To systematically and comprehensively consider these parameters, we introduce the Sufficiency Dimension Matrix (Fig. 2), a 2 × 2 matrix based on the time perspective (i.e., the transition vs. realized end state) and goal (i.e., achieving sufficiency vs. consumer well-being enhancing sufficiency), giving us four sufficiency dimensions.

Fig. 2
figure 2

Sufficiency Matrix with four dimensions (D1–D4) derived from two time frames and two goals

Full size image

The development of the Sufficiency Dimension Matrix (Fig. 2) is based on the consumption corridor (Defila and Di Giulio 2020) and future studies, namely scenarios, envisioning, and backcasting (UK Government Office of Science, 2017).

The time frames and goals have varying implications on actor influence, both in terms of their capacity and motivation as transition agents and as goal setters. As such, the matrix is used as a method in the curation process of the special feature and in the editorial to dissect actor roles and influences. Using these two conceptual frameworks (Figs. 1 & 2), we consider actors' distinct and overlapping responsibilities to ensure alignment between the transition process and the desired end state, which depends on the goal at hand.

For this Special Feature, we call for theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and empirical contributions that consider:

  1. (a)

    Sufficiency dimensions: one or more of the four dimensions described in Fig. 2.

  2. (b)

    Actors in the consumption and production system: two or more actors, one of which involves a focus on individuals in their role as consumer/user/occupant/citizen, etc.

  3. (c)

    Practical implications: findings are used to develop practitioner guidance and/or policy recommendations, or to at least give conceptual or theoretical direction for this.

We have curated a preliminary selection of relevant work and have organized these into the Sufficiency Matrix. We now want to open the call to further contributions. We are particularly interested in contributions addressing the implications of how to realize and/or conceptualize sufficiency (for setting sufficiency goals) (Dimension 2) and individual well-being implications of a realized sufficiency (i.e., end state) (Dimension 4). We, thereby, aim for a balance between contributions from different geographies (i.e., Global South and North) and sectors (i.e., food, housing, mobility).

The Intersections of Influence approach (Fig. 1) and the Sufficiency Dimensions Matrix (Fig. 2) contribute to a more nuanced, integrated view of actor influence, intended to ensure the identification of relevant responsibilities and intersecting influences, to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes, given corresponding policy measures.

In short, this Feature’s contribution consists of: (1) a conceptual tool for bridging the structure–agency gap and (2) topic-specific insights from each of the Special Feature articles, ranging from energy systems to business models.

Deadline, submission, and review process

This Special Feature is inter- and transdisciplinary, with a focus on the phenomenon of author coordination in sufficiency efforts, primarily across the domains of food, housing, and mobility. We encourage authors to submit extended abstracts (maximum 300 words) to the Special Feature editors. Abstracts can be sent to the corresponding editor (Laura Maria Wallnoefer < laura.wallnoefer@boku.ac.at >) until 15 March 2024. Upon acceptance of the abstract, the authors will be invited to submit full-length manuscripts through the journal’s electronic editorial management (EM) system. Papers will then go through a single-blind peer review process. Authors are recommended to follow the publisher formatting guidelines and length requirements as per the article type.

Authors’s guidelines: https://www.springer.com/journal/11625?detailsPage=press

Important dates and deadlines:

  • Deadline for abstract submission: 15 March 2024.

  • Notification of acceptance of abstract: 15 April 2024.

  • Full paper submission deadline: 31 December 2024.

  • Review period (tentative): 8–10 months.

  • Tentative date of online publication: as soon as accepted (SF).

  • Completion of the special issue: December 2025.

Submission guidelines

For submission through the EM system, please register in the EM system (below link) and submit your article by selecting the SF title (SF: At the Intersection of Influence: Exploring the Structure–Agency Nexus across various Sufficiency Goals and Time Frames). You can see the author tutorial on the right side of the registration page.