Mobilizing for transformations toward equitable and sustainable futures: the roles and capacities of large-scale actor coalitions

Several transnational corporations, investors and philanthropic organizations have been forming coalitions to respond to global social and environmental challenges and tackle Anthropocene challenges at scale. The Covid-19 pandemic has intensified these calls for actions.

Past research has shown that crises, such as the current pandemic, are periods that open up for large-scale, systemic transformations, due to a weakening of the status-quo system and the willingness to try new ways of doing things, including new forms of governance and business models.

However, such opportunities are no guarantee for transformations but there is also a risk that the precise system dynamics that created the problem in the first place are cemented and perpetuated. There is also a risk that old structures are replaced with ones misaligned with equity and sustainability objectives.

Do these coalitions, consisting of large-scale actors (LSA), have the capacities needed to contribute to transformations towards more sustainability and equitable futures?

More robust empirical evidence is needed and  the aim of this project is to study if, why, how, and under what conditions LSA coalitions may contribute to transformations towards equitable and sustainable futures.

We use an empirical approach and employ mixed methods to examine how LSA coalitions from the food and finance sectors operate, interact with their network, and impact public rules and regulations.