DECENTRALIZED TRANSITION MANAGEMENT UNDER TRUMP 2.0: LESSONS FROM E-JEEPNEYS AND ZERO-WASTE PATHWAYS IN THE PHILIPPINES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63456/asphb-2-1-69Keywords:
Sustainability transitions, transition management, e-jeepney, decentralized governance, zero-waste, Philippines, Trump 2.0, Multi-Level Perspective, adaptive systemsAbstract
Sustainability transitions in the Global South are increasingly shaped by a volatile international political landscape, exemplified by the anticipated rollback of climate commitments under a potential Trump 2.0 administration. This paper investigates how decentralized governance can foster resilience in local transition pathways through a comparative case analysis of two Philippine initiatives: the nationally initiated e-jeepney program in General Santos City and the community-driven zero-waste transition in Batangas City. Anchored in the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and Transition Management Theory (TMT), the study reveals how each transition evolved through distinct configurations of actor engagement, governance style, and institutional adaptation. Drawing from these insights, the paper proposes a Decentralized Adaptive Transition Management (DATM) framework, a hybrid governance model emphasizing reflexive learning, nested transition arenas, and local innovation incubation. The DATM framework offers a strategic approach for sustaining transitions amid weak or hostile national environments, highlighting the capacity of local actors to transform uncertainty into opportunity. By advancing a grounded yet transferable model, this work contributes to the global discourse on sustainability governance in politically fragmented contexts.
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