Driving transformative climate action from the bottom up: the role of intentional communities and their sharing practices

Abstract Scientists and politicians increasingly recognize the role of intentional communities in climate action and their transformative potential for societal change. Yet, more research is needed on how to translate innovations from intentional communities into broader society. This paper addresses this research gap by investigating sharing practices as a social innovation in intentional communities. The socio-spatial framework offers an interdisciplinary perspective for this purpose. Case studies reveal insights into sharing practices in intentional communities and help to understand whether and how changes that are evoked through sharing on different spatial dimensions manifest on the individual level and transition to the social and societal level. The findings revealed a gap at the societal level that needs to be filled for intentional communities to act beyond their local contexts. Future research approaches, theoretical and practical implications on how innovations such as sharing from the bottom up may facilitate transformative climate action are discussed.