Talkin’ bout a revolution: an expert interview study exploring barriers and keys to engender change towards societal sufficiency orientation

Representative studies report high levels of acceptance of environmental protection and approval for stricter political measures to ensure a liveable future. However, in the last years, climate-damaging emissions did not decrease in accordance with the Paris Agreement, and important societal actors failed to implement effective strategies that could promote a socio-ecological transformation. Sufficiency with its underlying ‘mind-set’ can be a seen as leverage point for transformation and thus is targeted within our qualitative study. To explore barriers that prevent the implementation of knowledge about the sufficiency approach and ways to encourage sufficiency orientation on a societal level, we conducted interviews with experts from science, politics and economy (N = 21). Using qualitative content analysis, we identified keys for change, i.e., narratives, rewards and recognition, time structures and responsibilities that could have a leveraging effect towards system transformation. We propose an exploratory framework that points out main barriers, keys in terms of levers and experts’ visions towards a sufficiency-oriented society. Furthermore, we outline that the sufficiency discourse contains ambiguities and varieties concerning the experts’ perceptions regarding effective levers for a transformation. Through brief discourse pattern analysis, we highlight different perceptions regarding the role of technology, social responsibility and the societal change and time. The proposed framework can inspire future research and policy-making on sufficiency.