The 16th International Sustainability Transitions (IST) Conference will be held from June 24 to 26, 2025, at ISCTE and IGOT in Lisbon, Portugal, under the theme: "Tensions and Trade-offs in Structural Changes for Sustainability Transitions." Taking place a decade after the Paris Agreement and amid a worsening climate crisis, the conference will explore the complexities of driving deep, systemic transformations in production and consumption systems. It will address how structural changes often involve complex trade-offs between speed, scope, equity, and systemic impact, highlighting technological innovations and socio-political tensions accompanying sustainability transitions.
The conference will also examine unintended consequences of green transitions, such as new resource dependencies, ecological disruptions, and social inequalities, especially in energy, mobility, and industrial sectors. Key discussions will revolve around the scale and fairness of transitions, potential paradoxes like “unsustainable transitions,” and how technological solutions can inadvertently replicate extractive models. IST’25 invites researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to contribute to advancing interdisciplinary research, promoting just transitions, and exploring alternative growth models like degrowth or post-growth. The event aims to generate actionable knowledge and foster cross-sector dialogue for meaningful and equitable sustainability transformations.
