Fig 1.
Simple visualization of a dead-end pathway.
Adapted from Layzell & Beaumier [25] and Meadowcroft et al. [26].
Table 1.
Summary of literature review results.
Fig 2.
Elements of a net zero compatible transition pathway.
Fig 3.
Overview of the assessment framework.
See Fig 5 for details on the components of each assessment step.
Fig 4.
Illustrative pathways.
Fig 5.
The assessment framework.
Table 2.
Summary of assessment results.
Fig 6.
Dead-end pathways waste time and resources.
This figure depicts the implications of prolonging investments in a dead-end pathway. In scenario 1 (left panel), societal investment in the dead-end pathway is reallocated to the net zero pathway in a timely fashion, accelerating change processes. In scenario 2, societal investment in the dead-end pathway is extended before eventually shifting to a genuine net zero pathway, leading to delays and additional wasted resources.