Abstract for: Tipping Points and Multi-system Interactions in the Acceleration of Sustainability Transitions

Research on sustainability transitions (STs) has increased considerably over the last two decades. Despite major scholarly progress and growing recognition of STs' scholarship in policy circles, a key question remains: how do transitions accelerate? This question is gaining urgency, as the time window to remain within planetary boundaries is rapidly closing. Contemporary research on accelerating transitions frequently examines tipping points (TPs) in multi-system interactions (MSIs) as key mechanisms. However, as of today, there is limited understanding of the interplay between TPs, MSIs and acceleration in STs’ studies. Hence, the aim of this study is to clarify this relationship and identify a research gap on these three interconnected themes. A qualitative literature review is conducted by examining academic literature spanning approximately 20 years (2005–2025). Findings indicate that although each notion is getting more attention, its integration remains limited in both empirical and theoretical terms. Despite growing attention to acceleration, TPs, and multi-MSIs in transition studies, the literature still leaves several important gaps. Four gaps found in the literature: (1) the limited theorisation of acceleration within STs’ frameworks; (2) the fragmented discussion of TPs and MSIs as separate mechanisms in the acceleration; (3) the lack of integrated modelling approaches that capture tipping and multi-system dynamics in accelerating STs; and (4) the limited research on acceleration in Global South contexts.