Applying a conflict typology to ecologies of intermediation: the case of a transitions intermediary in Spain

• Ecologies of intermediation offer a context for the study of conflict in transitions. • Conflict typology proposed, relating to: values, socio-cognitive, and interest conflicts. • Interactions between conflict types and levels of intermediation. • Ecologies of intermediation as both a source and resolution of conflicts. • Conflict intermediation benefits from making deeply rooted differences visible. Within ecologies of intermediation, multiple intermediaries and their initiatives operate with overlapping remits and associated conflicts. To understand these, we propose a typology of conflict sources, applying this to the case of a university-based sustainability intermediary in Spain (itdUPM). itdUPM acts as an umbrella organisation for initiatives that connect stakeholders in pursuit of sustainability objectives. Analysing the case with its embedded sub-units, we distinguish between: (1) value conflicts connected to actors’ identities and ideologies; (2) socio-cognitive conflicts related to the need to hold consistent and socially validated cognitions; (3) conflicts of interests, which emerge when actors’ interests in terms of resource allocation, including power, are misaligned. We highlight the importance of a nuanced understanding of conflict types as part of intermediation processes, including those arising from the dynamic interactions between specific intermediation initiatives and their broader contexts. We also propose conflict management strategies to assist in this in practice.