As a purposive sustainability transition requires environmental innovation and innovation policy, we discuss potentials and limitations of three dominant strands of literature in this field, namely the multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions (MLP), the innovation systems approach (IS), and the long-wave theory of techno-economic paradigm shifts (LWT). All three are epistemologically rooted in an evolutionary understanding of socio-technical change. While these approaches are appropriate to understand market-driven processes of change, they may be deficient as analytical tools for exploring and designing processes of purposive societal transformation. In particular, we argue that the evolutionary mechanism of selection is the key to introducing the strong directionality required for purposive transformative change. In all three innovation theories, we find that the prime selection environment is constituted by the market and, thus, normative societal goals like sustainability are sidelined. Consequently, selection is depoliticised and neither strong directionality nor incumbent regime destabilisation are societally steered. Finally, we offer an analytical framework that builds upon a more political conception of selection and retention and calls for new political institutions to make normatively guided selections. Institutions for transformative innovation need to improve the capacities of complex societies to make binding decisions in politically contested fields.

The fashion industry, the world's third-largest manufacturing sector, is a complex network involvingcreation, production, distribution, and consumption of fashion products. Despite extensive research onsustainable transitions in supply chains, little attention has been given to the role of supply chain actorsin sustainability, especially yarn mills and manufacturers. This thesis investigates the sustainabilitytransition within fashion supply chains with a specific focus on knitwear and textile production in thePrato textile Industrial District (Italy), characterized by its interconnected small and medium-sizedenterprises, which evolved from wool production to a diverse fashion hub. This research aims tounderstand the role of knitwear and woven producers in sustainability transition, exploring drivers,barriers, and sustainability identification. To address this gap, semi-structured interviews wereconducted with members of four different companies, and company sustainability reports andcertifications were also analyzed. The theoretical foundation integrates the Triple Bottom Line (TBL)concept, organizational change, and network theory to explore economic, social, and environmental aspects, fostering a holistic approach to sustainability. Organizational change models like Lewin's three-step model and Kotter's 8-step change model inform the investigation of sustainable organizational practices. Thematic analysis uncovers key themes surrounding sustainable transition, spanninghistorical context, sustainability definitions, sustainability practices, barriers, drivers, and sustainabilitypartners. These themes are linked to organizational change and Network theory in the axial codingprocess, illustrating connections between theory and empirical findings. A conceptual framework isdesigned to link fashion companies' strategies with triple bottom line (TBL), highlightingmanufacturing processes and strategic approaches towards sustainability. Key themes includegovernance, material sourcing, transparency, partnerships, diverse practices, and categorizing driversand barriers. This study contributes to understanding how economic, social, and environmental factorsintersect in fostering sustainable fashion practices. The findings also provide valuable insights intoorganizational change theory and network theory's applicability in sustainable fashion contexts.Recommendations for future research include broader industry scopes, technology impacts, governmentpolicies, and longitudinal studies to track evolving perceptions and practices. The analysis enriches thediscourse on sustainable fashion manufacturing and guides further research endeavors in the fashionindustry's sustainability domain.

Cities in the Global South are undergoing rapid urbanization, where a high percentage of the urban poor live in informal settlements that lack basic services, are associated with unemployment, low-income levels, and insecurity. The impacts of climate change, intensive agricultural practices, and highly globalized food systems pose challenges to food security. Urban farming is one of the alternative practices to tackle food insecurity and urban poverty. In this study, urban farming was examined through grassroots innovation theory, which focuses on creating innovative sustainable development solutions from the bottom up. However, insufficient research has been done on urban farming initiatives in highly deprived areas. A qualitative approach was adopted, where semi-structured interviews were conducted, that were triangulated with observation and documentation data, providing multiple sources of support. The data was analysed through the Resources-Rationales-Relations Framework, which has been also used by other researchers to analyse grassroots initiatives. The results demonstrate that water is a crucial resource in urban farming grassroots initiatives, as water availability is limited due to droughts and climate change. Furthermore, resource-scarce environments experience limited access to water due to the unequal distribution of resources. Another identified resource that urban farming grassroots initiatives imply is climate-smart innovative technologies, such as the hydroponic system, that gives farmers good exposure. Sustainable livelihood creation was the main rationale to be involved in urban farming grassroots initiatives, by creating employment, giving back to the community, and influencing youth’s food and lifestyle choices. Relations were found to be crucial between farmers and organizational intermediaries, as they have increased their visibility and enabled them to engage with a wider context. The study concludes that the urban sustainability transition in Global South’s informal settlements is achieved when it cuts through all three levels of knowledge production, which was done by the climate-smart innovative farming technologies that raise attention and interest beyond the local context up to the political arena.

Rechargeable batteries are set to power sustainable development by 2030. In this context, the increasingly important role of certain ‘strategic minerals’ used in emerging renewable technologies has become highly topical. As the geopolitical landscape is changing as the world moves away from fossil fuels, a surge in demand for these minerals will entail an increase of production at unprecedented levels. A case in point and a focus of analysis in this thesis is the extractive sector sourcing one of the most important of transition minerals ‘cobalt’ that is predominantly mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Against the challenge of a secret and non-transparent mining industry, this thesis has identified and listed all operational and openly communicative Multinational Corporations (MNC’s) extracting cobalt in the DRC. By conducting a critical discourse analysis on seven different cobalt extracting MNC’s, the analysis unveils different ways in which the companies ‘frame’ cobalt as strategic. Thus, a new and relevant ‘material-discursive framework’ has been utilised to bridge the underlying discourses of these companies with their material practices relating to cobalt. By employing this theoretical framework, the findings point at three main logics of corporate narrative the MNC’s in the sample use to form and maintain their operational activities: securitisation, environmentalism and developmentalism. Central discourses within these themes point at the way in which companies seek to maintain their economic security and legitimacy in an increasingly contested industry by continuously representing themselves as central actors with the responsibility and knowledge to deliver sustainable development for local communities affected by the industry in the DRC and for the sustainability transition.

The urgent action needed to achieve the goals within the Paris Agreement and restrict the increase of global warming to 1,5 degrees calls for adaptation across the whole of society. One way to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is to enable a transition towards a sustainable food system, from meat products to more plant-based products including the consumption of more legumes. Legumes have many positive effects, both for arable land in terms of nitrogen fixation, as well as for people’s health in terms of high bioavailability. However, many plant-based alternatives currently on the market are multi-processed, resulting in low bioavailability and a high use of non-natural additives. The aim of this study is to shed light on what enables and hinders the transition towards a sustainable food system based on a more plant-based diet of Swedish-grown crops, including legumes. Furthermore, the purpose is to explore opportunities and challenges within strategy documents that affect the transition toward more sustainable food production. Two Swedish companies, both selling products labeled From Sweden, were interviewed to increase the understanding of opportunities and challenges for them to thrive in the existing meat-dominated market. The Swedish Board of Agriculture was interviewed to increase the understanding of the policy environment. This was complemented by a content analysis of two policy documents, the Swedish Food Strategy and the EU Farm to Fork Strategy. The analysis of collected data showed that the development of legume-based, From Sweden products depends on both collaboration between actors in the value chain, and educating Swedish consumers. The findings also reveal that retailers play an important role when it comes to affecting the opportunities and challenges for a transition towards more plant-based diets. In light of this, the study concludes that education, retailers and collaboration are the most important factors at play when it comes to opportunities and challenges that enable or hinder the transition towards a more sustainable food system including more high-legume plant-based diets. Often, these factors can be seen as both opportunities and challenges. However, further research is needed to better understand how these factors fit into the wider policy environment, where more key authorities beyond the scope of this study are included.

This thesis seeks to explore the importance of sustainability within start-up organisations and investigate the sustainability transition within selected ventures. The research conducted applies a multiple case study design, combined with a literature review to answer the research question: ‘How Important is Sustainability for Start-ups?’. Six case studies are conducted from various industries, in order to obtain a purposive sample. The sample comprises start-ups that are technology focused, of a size below ten people and located in Stockholm, Sweden. Within this investigation, the concept of sustainability is defined through the triple bottom line approach; social, environmental, and economic, and supported by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations. Further concepts of Social Economy are applied, while the basis of the research questionnaire is the Social Economy Canvas. Moreover, the Multi-Level Perspective theoretical framework is applied to provide structure and support to the developed theories, placing sustainability within a broader perspective. As a result of the data collection and analysis, the following findings are presented. Firstly, digital start-ups struggle to have an impact on environmental sustainability when not working directly within this area. Secondly, in the ideation stages, start-ups have the intention of becoming sustainable according to the triple bottom line. However, when start-ups evolve, their sustainability goals may come into conflict with other factors that add layers of complexity in decision making. Thirdly, it is evidenced that a sustainability transition occurs in the observed case studies, as start-ups adopt more sustainable business practices and entrepreneurs are inspired to pursue new businesses or sustainability-oriented business models. Lastly, Sweden proves itself as a sustainability enabler, offering significant sustainability advantages to organisations based in Sweden. / Denna avhandling undersöker vikten av hållbarhet inom nystartade företag och undersöker hållbarhetsövergången inom utvalda företag. Den genomförda forskningen tillämpar flera fallstudier i kombination med en litteraturöversikt för att besvara forskningsfrågan: "Hur viktigt är hållbarhet för start-ups?" Sex fallstudier har genomförts från olika branscher för att få till en ändamålsenlig provstorlek. Urvalet omfattar nystartade företag som är teknologifokuserade, av en storlek under tio personer och som ligger i Stockholm, Sverige. Inom denna utredning definieras begreppet hållbarhet genom den tredubbla strategin: social, miljömässig och ekonomisk, och stöttas av de 17 hållbarhetsmål som utvecklats av FN. Ytterligare begrepp om social ekonomi tillämpas, medan grunden för forskningsundersökningen är en socialekonomisk canvas. Dessutom tillämpas det teoretiska ramverket på flera nivåer för att ge struktur och stöd till de utvecklade teorierna och placera hållbarhet i ett bredare perspektiv. Som ett resultat av datainsamlingen och analysen presenteras följande resultat. För det första har digitala nystartade företag svårigheter att påverka miljöns hållbarhet när de inte arbetar direkt inom detta område. För det andra, i ideationsstadierna har nyetablerade företag avsikter att bli hållbara enligt ”triple bottom line”-modellen. Men när nystartade företag utvecklas kan deras hållbarhetsmål komma i konflikt med andra faktorer som komplicerar beslutsfattandet. För det tredje framgår det att en hållbarhetsövergång inträffar i de observerade fallstudierna när nystartade företag använder mer hållbara affärsmetoder och entreprenörer inspireras att bedriva nya företag eller hållbarhetsinriktade affärsmodeller. Slutligen visar Sverige sig vara en hållbarhetsfaktor som erbjuder betydande hållbarhetsfördelar till organisationer med bas i Sverige.

Currently, more than half of all Swedish single-family houses have an installed heat pump and more heat is supplied by heat pumps in Sweden than in any other nation. Despite the enormous impact of heat pumps on the Swedish energy system, the transition towards their use has gone relatively unnoticed. Hence the title of this thesis, ‘A silent revolution’. This thesis provides an in-depth study of the Swedish transition towards heat pumps and how Swedish industries contributed to it. It approaches the topic from the perspective of value networks and ‘coopetition’, combined with the concept of complementarities. This approach has been inspired by the work of Verna Allee (2009) and Erik Dahmén (1991). In this thesis, value networks are networks of actors surrounding a specific business model, coopetition is used to describe the relationships between actors (as both competitive and cooperative), and the concept of complementarities is used to analyze the dynamics between synergistic elements and value networks in Sweden’s heat pump sector and energy system. Based on this approach, the thesis explains how a durable web of relations and interdependencies between complementarities has developed within the heat pump sector and the energy system in Sweden, and between the two, during the country’s transition to widespread use of heat pumps. Interest in heat pumps arose in Sweden and other parts of Europe during the 1970s. The Swedish energy system had been caught between international oil crises and national political mobilisation against nuclear power expansion. In this period of negative transformation pressure, the heat pump appeared as a promising alternative that could mitigate the use of oil and electricity for heating. In the 1970s, an early Swedish heat pump industry formed together with a growing heat pump market. A large number of diverse actors became involved in the Swedish heat pump sector, and the intense coopetition dynamics relating to heat pumps following the 1970s oil crisis contributed to durable connections between complementarities during the early stages of the transition. The 1980s saw a rapid expansion of large heat pumps in Swedish district heating facilities. In the mid-1980s, however, oil prices dropped back to their previous low levels. This change, combined with other factors, such as lifted subsidies and higher interest rates, created a crisis for Swedish heat pump industry. The industry underwent a 10-year period of low sales of small heat pumps and the market for large heat pumps died out and never returned. Nevertheless, several connections between heat pump–related complementarities remained in Sweden after the mid-1980s. In conjunction with value network reconfigurations, changes in company ownerships and governmental industry support, these complementarities helped the Swedish heat pump sector to maintain both production and service capacity. Due to developments that took place largely outside the heat pump manufacturing sector, by the mid-1990s it became possible for the struggling Swedish industry to offer more reliable and standardised heat pumps to the Swedish home heating market. During the years after 1995, the Swedish heat pump market grew to become the biggest in Europe. The industry’s early development and growth gave Swedish companies a comparative advantage over its European competitors, with the result that the manufacturing of heat pumps remained concentrated to Swedish-based manufacturing facilities even after the Swedish heat pump industry became internationalised after 2005. As of 2015, Sweden had the greatest amount of heat production from heat pumps per capita of any European nation, and many heat pump markets in other European countries are 10 to 20 years behind the Swedish market in development. This thesis shows how the Swedish heat pump industry has co-evolved with the market and how developments in the industry contributed towards causing the transition to heat pumps to occur so early in Sweden relative to other European markets. It also shows that coopetition dynamics in a socio-technical transition change with the emergence and characteristics of structural tensions between complementarities, which has implications for the strategic management of external relations and partnerships during socio-technical transitions. It further argues that the combination of the value network, coopetition, and complementarity concepts can be conceptualised for descriptive and exploratory studies on the role of firms and industries in socio-technical transitions, thereby offering a complement to existing dominant frameworks in the area of transition studies. / För närvarande har mer än hälften av alla svenska husägare en installerad värmepump. Värmepumpar levererar mer värme per capita i Sverige än i något annat land. Men trots värmepumparnas stora genomslag i det svenska energisystemet har övergången från olja och el till värmepumpar gått relativt obemärkt förbi. Därav titeln på denna avhandling, ”en tyst revolution”. Denna avhandling ger en djupgående beskrivning av den svenska övergången från olja och el till värmepumpar och av hur den svenska industrin bidragit till utvecklingen inom det svenska värmepumps- området. Forskningsansatsen i denna avhandling bygger på ett värdenätverks- och ’coopetition’-perspektiv i kombination med användningen av det dynamiska analytiska begreppet komplementaritet. Denna ansats är inspirerad av Verna Allees (2009) och Erik Dahméns (1991) arbeten. Begreppet värdenätverk används i denna avhandling för att beskriva det nätverk av aktörer som omger en specifik affärsmodell, begreppet ’coopetition’ används för att beskriva relationerna mellan aktörer (som både konkurrerande och samarbetande) och begreppet komplementaritet används för att analysera dynamiken mellan synergistiska delar och värdenätverk i den svenska värmepumpsektorn och det svenska energisystemet. Genom detta tillvägagångssätt beskrivs hur ett hållbart nät av relationer och ömsesidiga beroenden mellan komplementariteter har utvecklats, dels inom själva värmepumps- sektorn, dels mellan värmepumpssektorn och energisystemet i Sverige, under den svenska övergången mot ökad användning av värmepumpar. Intresset för värmepumpar steg i både Europa och Sverige under 1970- talet. Det svenska energisystemet var under tryck från både internationella oljekriser och nationell politisk mobilisering mot svensk kärnkrafts-utbyggnad. Under denna period när det svenska energisystemet var under negativt omvandlingstryck framstod värmepumpen som ett lovande alternativ som skulle kunna minska användningen av både olja och el för uppvärmning i Sverige. På 1970- talet bildades en svensk värmepumpindustri i samband med en växande värmepumpsmarknad. Ett stort antal aktörer av olika typer engagerade sig i den växande svenska värmepumpsektorn under denna period. Den intensiva samarbetsdynamiken kring värmepumpar som följde oljekrisen från 1970-talet bidrog till bildandet av varaktiga kopplingar mellan komplementariteter under denna tidiga fas i värmepumpsövergången. Under tidigt 1980-tal steg den relativa försäljningen av villavärmepumpar kraftigt och under mitten av 1980- talet skedde en ännu kraftigare utveckling av stora värmepumpar i svenska fjärrvärmeanläggningar. Men i mitten av 1980-talet sjönk oljepriset tillbaka till sina tidigare låga nivåer. I kombination med andra faktorer, så som slopade subventioner och höjd ränta, uppstod en kris för värmepumpar i Sverige. Den följande 10-års perioden karakteriserades av låg försäljning av små värmepumpar. Marknaden för stora värmepumpar försvann helt och skulle aldrig återkomma. Men flera kopplingar mellan värmepumpsrelaterade komplementarier kvarstod i Sverige även efter mitten av 1980-talet. I kombination med värdenätverkskonfigurationer, förändringar i företagsägande och statligt stöd till industrin, bidrog dessa hållbara kopplingar mellan komplementarier till att upprätthålla både produktion och servicefunktioner inom den svenska värmepumpsektorn. På grund av den tekniska utvecklingen, som i stor utsträckning skedde utanför tillverkningssektorn, blev det i mitten av 1990-talet möjligt för den kämpande svenska värmepumpsindustrin att erbjuda mer pålitliga och standardiserade villavärmepumpar till den svenska hemmamarknaden. Under åren efter 1995 växte den svenska värmepumpmarknaden till att bli den största i Europa. Den svenska marknadens och industrins utveckling och tillväxt gav svenska företag en relativ fördel gentemot sina eftersläntrande europeiska konkurrenter, med följden att tillverkningen av värmepumpar förblev koncentrerad till svenska anläggningar även efter det att en stor del av svensk värmepumpsindustri blivit uppköpt av utländska företag efter 2005. År 2015 var Sverige fortfarande det land med mest värme från värmepumpar per capita i Europa och den svenska utvecklingen var 10- 20 år före andra europeiska värmepumpmarknader. Denna avhandling beskriver samutvecklingen mellan den svenska värmepumpssektorn och det svenska energisystemet och hur den industriella utvecklingen bidragit till att den svenska övergången till värmepumpar var relativt tidig i jämförelse med andra europeiska marknader. Avhandlingen visar också att aktörsdynamiken i en socio- teknisk övergång förändras med uppkomsten av strukturella spänningar mellan komplementariteter, vilket har betydelse för hur externa relationer och partnerskap hanteras av företag och organisationer som genomgår omfattande socio-tekniska övergångar. Vidare argumenteras för att begreppen värdenätverk, coopetition, och komplementariteter kan kombineras i ett konceptuellt ramverk för att beskriva och analysera företags och industriers roller i omfattande socio-tekniska övergångar och därigenom komplettera nuvarande dominerande konceptuella ramverk för studier av omfattande socio-tekniska övergångar. / <p>QC 20171023</p>

The aviation industry stands for about 2% of the global CO2 emissions and constitutes a large portion of what the individual can affect by their own decision making. A direct round-trip Stockholm to New York consumes about 50% of an individual's annual CO2 budget. This paper studies what role carbon offsetting has in the transition towards sustainable aviation. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), electrical aviation and abstaining from flying are also considered as potential approaches to making aviation more sustainable. The research method is both empirical and theoretical. Empirically, a Carbon Offsetting Assessment Framework evaluates airlines’ and online travel agencies’ (OTAs’) work with carbon offsetting and SAF. This is done from a Sweden-centric perspective. The airlines BRA, KLM and SAS score highest. Theoretically, a discussion of the dynamics of the aviation industry’s transition into sustainability is carried out through the multi-level perspective (MLP). Carbon offsetting is considered the best short-term solution for sustainable aviation due to availability and costefficiency. SAF is currently too expensive and the usage too low to yield significant emission reductions but is a promising mid-term solution. In the long-run, electrical aviation is the solution that has the potential to lower direct emissions to almost zero but it relies on major energy storage development and is not commercially viable today. The study also explains why carbon offsetting not should be used as a letter of indulgence but still is a good way to be certain that climate positive actions happen now and not are postponed or not happen at all. / Flygindustrin står för ungefär 2% av de globala CO2-utsläppen och utgör en stor andel av vad individen kan påverka genom sitt eget beslutsfattande. En direktresa tur- och retur Stockholm till New York konsumerar ungefär 50% av en individs ärliga CO2-budget. Den här studien undersöker vilken roll klimatkompensation har i en övergång mot hållbart flyg. Hållbart flygbränsle (SAF), elflyg och att avstå från att flyga har också utvärderats som potentiella tillvägagångssätt för att göra flyget mer hållbart. Studiens forskningsmetod är både empirisk och teoretisk. En modell för att empiriskt utvärdera flygbolags och onlineresebyråers (OTAs) arbete med klimatkompensation och SAF appliceras på en Sverigecentriskt urval av aktörer. Flygbolagen BRA, KLM och SAS får högst poäng. Vidare förs en teoretisk diskussion om dynamiken i flygbranschens övergång mot hållbart flyg genom “the multi-level perspective” (MLP). Klimatkompensation anses vara den bästa kortsiktiga lösningen för hållbart flyg eftersom det är tillgängligt och kostnadseffektivt. SAF är idag för dyrt och användandet för lågt för att resultera i betydelsefulla utsläppsminskningar men är icke desto mindre en lovande teknik på medellång sikt. På lång sikt är elflyg lösningen som har potential att minska direktutsläpp till nästan noll men det står och faller med avsevärd teknikutveckling inom energilagring och är inte kommersiellt tillgängligt idag. Studien förklarar också varför klimatkompensation inte borde användas som ett avlatsbrev men att det fortfarande är ett bra sätt att försäkra sig om att klimatpositiva handlingar sker idag och inte blir uppskjutna eller uteblir.

Recherche par le design / Face à l'impératif de transition écologique, il est essentiel de produire des connaissances et d’imaginer des futurs préférables - écologiques et collectivement désirables - pour faciliter le passage à de nouveaux modes de vie consommant radicalement moins de ressources. Les impacts environnementaux méconnus et grandissants liés à nos activités numériques appellent à repenser cette dimension afin de la conjuguer à des futurs plus écologiques. Alors que la métropole montréalaise rayonne à l’international pour ses artistes numériques et son industrie du jeu vidéo, force est de constater que le développement de la culture numérique y est déconnecté du projet de transition écologique. Ces constats empiriques nous amènent à formuler un nouveau projet : faire de Montréal une «métropole culturelle numérique durable». La formulation de cet horizon inconnu constitue une opportunité de recherche à aborder par le design. Cette opportunité nous a incités à réaliser un projet de recherche par le design visant à explorer les futurs possibles pour faire de Montréal une métropole culturelle numérique durable en mobilisant les approches du design participatif, de la prospective et du design critique. Cette recherche a poursuivi deux objectifs principaux : explorer les futurs possibles pour Montréal en tant que métropole culturelle numérique durable en générant des idées qui enrichissent cet inconnu et étudier le croisement des approches théoriques en situation de projet. Pour atteindre ces objectifs, nous avons d’abord mené une enquête par recherche bibliographique et entretiens semi-dirigés pour définir le «numérique durable» et enrichir nos constats empiriques initiaux. Nous avons ensuite conçu un dispositif participatif et créatif en mobilisant des méthodes de prospective et de design critique, notamment pour produire des artefacts déclencheurs (des scénarios de prospectives accompagnés d’affiches) racontant les futurs possibles de la métropole culturelle numérique durable de 2035. Le dispositif a ensuite été utilisé lors de deux ateliers de codesign. Une interprétation des effets combinés de la prospective, du design critique et du design participatif sur la performance générative et les raisonnements de conception observés en atelier conclut le projet. La recherche fournit à la fois des avenues pour penser Montréal en tant que métropole culturelle numérique durable en esquissant les principes d’une nouvelle politique publique et une meilleure compréhension de l’intérêt du croisement des approches du design participatif, de la prospective et du design critique. / Given the urgent need for a sustainable transition, it is essential to generate knowledge and envision preferable futures - sustainable and collectively desirable - to facilitate the shift towards new lifestyles consuming radically fewer resources. The unrecognized and growing environmental footprint of our digital activities are calling for some rethinking in order to reconcile this dimension with greener futures. While the city of Montreal is internationally recognized for its digital artists and video game industry, it is also clear that the development of Montreal's digital culture is disconnected from the ongoing sustainable transition. These empirical observations have led us to propose a new project: to make Montreal a "sustainable digital cultural metropolis." This opportunity sparked a research-through-design project aimed at exploring possible futures to make Montreal a sustainable digital cultural metropolis, drawing on the approaches of participatory design, foresight and critical design. This research had two main objectives: to explore possible futures for Montreal as a sustainable digital cultural metropolis through the generation of insights that enrich this unknown concept, and to study the interplay of the theoretical approaches in the context of a project. To achieve these objectives, we first conducted an inquiry using desk research and semi-structured interviews to define "digital sustainability" and enrich our initial empirical observations. We then designed a participatory and creative device, mobilizing foresight and critical design methods, to produce "trigger" artifacts (foresight scenarios accompanied by posters) depicting the possible futures of the sustainable digital cultural metropolis of 2035. The device was then used in two codesign workshops. An analysis of the interplay between foresight, critical design and participatory design in relation with the generative outputs and design thinking processes observed in the workshops concludes the project. The research provides new avenues to envision Montreal as a sustainable digital cultural metropolis and drafts the principles of a new public policy as well as it provides a better understanding of the benefits stemming from the interplay of participatory design, foresight and critical design.