The journal offers a platform for reporting studies of innovations and socio-economic transitions to enhance an environmentally sustainable economy and thus solve structural resource scarcity and environmental problems, notably related to fossil energy use and climate change. This involves attention for technological, organizational, economic, institutional and political innovations as well as economy-wide and sector changes, such as in the areas of energy, transport, agriculture and water management. The journal aims to tackle the most difficult questions, dealing with social, economic, behavioral-psychological and political barriers and opportunities as well as their complex interaction. The journal is multidisciplinary in spirit and methodologically open, and invites contributions from a broad range of disciplines within the social, environmental and innovation sciences.

Specific research areas covered include:
Theoretical analysis, formal modeling, empirical studies, policy discussion and a critical survey of relevant literature. Practical cases may address transitions in specific sectors, cities or regions. Articles on historical transitions not specifically related to environment and sustainability are welcome if they include a section with unique lessons for sustainability transitions. A non-exhaustive list of keywords and themes is as follows: behavior in line with bounded rationality, development theories, diffusion of innovations, environmental regulation, formal modeling, geography of innovations, historical transitions, increasing returns to scale and path dependence, innovation policy, institutional barriers, international cooperation and coordination, learning-by-doing, learning curves, lock-in, new governance, niche markets, optimal technological diversity, regime analysis, social and political power, strategic niche management, rebound effect, recombinant innovation, sector structure, social learning, transition experiments, technological regimes, transition pathways/mechanisms, vested interests, visions of the future.

Article types in EIST
All submissions to Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions are reviewed using the general criteria of quality, originality, precision, importance of topic and insights, clarity of exposition, and fit to the journal's aims and scope. Several categories of articles are welcome.

Research paper (max. 8000 words)
Research articles devoted to theoretical, modeling, experimental, historical and empirical-quantitative analysis of important questions in the field. The journal also accepts qualitative case study research (historical, institutional, geographical, organizational, etc.). Furthermore, it is open to studies opposing different views and explaining fundamental differences in long-standing debates (such as on growth, the role of price instruments and the role of voluntary action). Evaluated by two or three outside reviewers.

Survey (max. 10,000 words)
Articles that review, critically examine and interpret important general subject areas within the wider scope of the journal. Evaluated by two or three outside reviewers.

Comments and views (max. 1000 words)
Topical and timely short pieces. May include editorials, letters to the editor and news items. Evaluated by the editors and/or one outside reviewer at the editors' discretion.

Policy brief (max. 2000 words)
As the theme of environmental innovation and sustainability transitions is high on the agenda of many countries, the EU, and international organizations like the IEA, OECD, the UN and the World Bank, it makes sense to devote some space in the journal for policy briefings, in which new insights and ideas are translated to a broader audience. This will enlarge the potential readership of the journal. At the same time, current trends in environmental, innovation and transition policies worldwide can be commented upon. Evaluated by the editors and one outside reviewer.

Book Review (max. 1000 words)
Reviews of recent books in the field, with the possibility of comparing books addressing similar topics. Reviewed by the editors. Maximum 1000 words. The title of Book Review article has to be in the following format: Book review: Book title, Reviewer. NOTE: In the title, kindly ensure not to mention the name of the author of the book.

Special issues
The journal is open to special issues addressing exciting themes, as long as these consist of very coherent and high-quality contributions. Please send a proposal to the editor-in-chief including the following items: title, guest editors (names, positions, affiliations and short bio), a short summary (motivation, goal, questions, approaches and innovative character), and a list of potential contributions (with authors, affiliations, titles and short abstract).

Research paper
Survey
Comments and views
Policy brief 
Book Review 
Special issues