The economics of socio-ecological transformations: introducing a conceptual framework

This article introduces the SETER framework, a conceptual tool for analyzing the interplay between socio-ecological transformation (SET) and economic reasoning (ER). In the context of global crises and the contested nature of sustainability discourses, the framework identifies nine key categories (economic goals, decisive economic institutions, role of the state, spatial scope, role of technology, economy-nature-nexus, socioeconomic cohesion, transformative dynamic, and transformative agency) to systematically compare diverse SET narratives and their basic underlying economic imaginaries. Drawing on insights from social studies of economics (SSE) and different strands of SET literature, the framework highlights how ER shapes SET discourses and potential pathways, influencing both diagnoses of socioecological crises and proposed solutions. The SETER framework also enables typifying antagonistic narratives opposing SET, such as techno-libertarianism or fossil modernization. While the framework offers a useful tool for categorizing and comparing SET narratives, integrating it with power-focused analytical tools is necessary to assess the performative influence of these narratives. By offering a flexible, cross-sectoral, and longitudinal approach, the SETER framework provides a robust methodology for navigating the complexities of SET-related discourses, current counter-developments, and the critical role of economic imaginaries.