Environmental Values 25 (2016): 00–00. © 2016 The White Horse Press. doi: How to Get Out of the Multiple Crisis? Contours of a Critical Theory of Social-Ecological Transformation ULRICH BRAND University of Vienna Neues Institutsgebäude Universitätsstr. 7/2. Stock 1010 Wien, Austria Email: ulrich.brand@univie.ac.at ABSTRACT The concept of transformation has become a buzzword within the last few years. This has to do, irst, with the ever broader recognition of the profound character of the environmental crisis, secondly, with increasingly obvious lim- its to existing forms of (global) environmental governance, thirdly, with the emergence of other dimensions of the crisis since 2008 and, fourthly, with in- tensiied debates about required profound social change, especially of societal nature relations. However, the term transformation itself is contested. It largely depends on theoretical assumptions as well as the plausibility and applica- bility of the arguments which are made. In this paper, a historical-materialist approach to social-ecological transformation is outlined by referring to a theo- retically sophisticated understanding of ‘subject(s)’ of transformation as well as the ‘object(s)’ of what is to be transformed. Theoretical concepts like the capitalist mode of production, regulation and hegemony, a critical understand- ing of the state and governance as well as the term societal nature relations are key. Such a perspective contributes to a more sophisticated understanding of the obstacles and requirements of real-world transformation. Finally, the argument has implications for visions and strategies, i.e., an emancipatory and democratic shaping of social relations and societal nature relations. KEYWORDS Transformation, historical materialism, capitalist mode of production, regula- tion, hegemony, critical state and governance theory, political ecology, societal nature relations