Abstract

Transition towards less energy-intensive and, particularly, less carbon-intensive societies is crucial today in a number of academic and political debates. The paper starts from the acknowledgement of the unsustainability of the current development model of «advanced» economies, which is threatening life itself on the planet. The logic of so-called «carbon control» is therefore central in responding to growing worries about the problems of the environment. The article focuses on two perspectives on energy transition: on the one hand, it investigates the use of the concept of energy transition at the urban scale. On the other hand, the article reflects on the theoretical and conceptual understandings of the problem potentially provided by urban sociology and on the ways this scientific discipline may contribute to the production of solutions.