Innovation and institutional change: the transition to a sustainable ...

Conclusions 231
diffusion and institution building. The essence of their rapid spread was how
its institutional logics was based on an alternative design, represented values
congruent with those of a range of actor groups and integrating environment
and economy. These cases can thus serve as exemplars for the way the
different approaches may be integrated, but also indicate that these do not
necessarily represent paths to sustainability, as the corrosion of the
‘sustainability value’ in the process showed.
The governance approach as represented by the Kyoto-protocol, is rather
restricted in its character as it provides ‘simple’ graduated ruler guidelines
and regulations for reducing greenhouse gases. An important effect has been
the short-term adaptation and optimisation of electricity systems to increase
efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, but a wide gap is still visible with
the much more far-reaching long-term goals. We contend that reaching those
long-term goals is not only about developing appropriate energy
technologies but also about broadening the perspective to a sustainable path
for society, as it is difficult to perceive a sustainable electricity system in an
unsustainable society.