Collective Action Initiatives in the Energy Transition. Supporters of a strong sustainability paradigm?

The overall objective of this contribution is to investigate Collective Action Initiatives (CAIs) in the energy sector (e.g. energy communities, cooperatives and purchasing groups) as a trigger for the implementation of a strong sustainability paradigm. The assumption is that the active involvement of citizens in the energy chain is a crucial requirement when considering the diverse dimensions of sustainability and to define and implement strategies that go beyond the technology-based weak sustainability paradigm. A description is provided of the potential that CAIs have in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, seen as an attempt to operationalise a strong sustainability paradigm. Then, through the analysis of a selection of case studies, we argue that CAIs development might create the conditions for supporting SDGs through the provision of relevant social and economic changes. Finally, we explore the effect these changes might have in addressing three layers of sustainability (the long-term horizon, the energy transition and the local dimension).