Explorative transition governance: Understanding by engaging in transitions in the making

Transition governance, a field within sustainability transitions research, explores how societal transitions can be accelerated towards just and sustainable futures. This chapter presents the explorative and engaged approach to transition governance, which supports societal actors in navigating the complex and uncertain dynamics of ‘transitions in the making.’ A key feature of explorative transition governance is the interplay between analytical and action-oriented, transdisciplinary approaches. The chapter begins by outlining the background and diversity of analytical approaches to understanding how actors interact within transition dynamics, ranging from strategies of resistance to strategies for transformation. It introduces the X-curve framework, an analytical tool that enables identification of the actors and roles required in the twin dynamics of build-up and phase-out. Followed by introduction of the transformative and transdisciplinary approaches that have emerged under the umbrella term Transition Management: a cyclical approach based on strategic, tactical, operational and reflexive activities for social learning in applied multi-actor settings. These include transition arenas, reflexive monitoring, back-casting and transition experiments. Finally, the chapter reflects on the challenges and opportunities for advancing explorative transition governance amidst growing resistance to and need for transformative change.