Quantum mechanics

Ecology

Biology

Statistics

Energy (signal processing)

Economics

Development economics

Business

Physics

Climate change

Relevance (law)

Frontier

Mathematics

Political science

Realisation

Economic growth

Finance

Natural resource economics

Divestment

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change

Promoting low‐carbon innovation has long been a central preoccupation within both the practice and theory of climate change mitigation. However, deep lock‐ins indicate that existing carbon‐intensive systems will not be displaced or reconfigured by innovation alone. A growing number of studies and practical initiatives suggest that mitigation efforts will need to engage with the deliberate decline of carbon‐intensive systems and their components (e.g., technologies and practices). Yet, despite this realisation, the role of intentional decline in decarbonization remains poorly understood and the literature in this area continues to be dispersed among different bodies of research and disciplines. In response, this article structures the fragmented strands of research engaging with purposive decline, interrogating the role it may play in decarbonization. It does so by systematically surveying concepts with particular relevance for intentional decline, focusing on phase‐out, divestment, and destabilization. This article is categorized under: Decarbonizing Energy and/or Reducing Demand &gt; Decarbonizing Energy and/or Reducing Demand

Deliberate decline: An emerging frontier for the study and practice of decarbonization