Understanding the role of government in sustainability transitions: A conceptual lens to analyse the Dutch gas quake case

How can we understand the role of government in processes of societal transformation, given the complexity of a differentiated polity? Literature shows that a coherent conceptualisation of the role of government in transition processes is lacking. This paper addresses this hiatus by developing an analytical lens drawing on transition studies and governance studies, articulating implications of this combination for agency, power and reflexivity. The lens is empirically tested in a case study where governmental actors played major roles: the termination of natural gas exploitation in the Netherlands.