Further reflections on the temporality of energy transitions: A response to critics

Sovacool, Benjamin K.; Geels, Frank W.

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2016.08.013

Cited by 157 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Socio-technical transition focused on energy involves interaction and interplay between actors [2][3][4], which produces discourse [7,8]-a variety of written and spoken communication. Such discourse reaches a social consensus about proactively coping with societal issues and challenges [23][24][25][26]30] by gaining more prominent status in the national energy and industrial system and consistently expands the discourse related to renewable energy [93]. In the context of a discourse on the transition to a renewable-energy-based economy, we explore and interpret the structural features of the contexts, in which the keyword is discussed and understood in discourses [111].…”

Section: Appendix Ementioning

confidence: 99%

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Who Drives the Transition to a Renewable-Energy Economy? Multi-Actor Perspective on Social Innovation

Sung

Park

2018

Sustainability

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This study examines how various actors influence the transition to a renewable-energy economy. We employ a conceptual framework derived from a literature review and text-mining analysis and establish a panel data model for an empirical test using unbalanced panel data from 25 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for the period from 1990 to 2014. We establish a panel vector autoregressive (VAR) model in the first differences and use a bias-corrected least squares dummy variable (LSDVC) estimator to test complex dynamic relationships between government, the public, markets, the traditional energy sector (i.e., the sector that uses nuclear power, oil, coal and natural gas as sources for electricity) and the contribution of renewables to the total energy supply. We also perform Wald tests on the coefficients of variables estimated by LSDVC estimator to determine causal relationships between the variables. The results of this study reveal that government and markets directly promote the transition to renewable energy, whereas the traditional energy sector negatively and directly affects the transition. By contrast, the public does not directly influence the transition to a renewable-energy economy. This study also shows that the government and public have positive indirect effects on the transition, by interacting with the market. We also find convincing evidence of significant dynamic-path dependence in all estimations. Finally, we discuss some implications based on the findings of this study.

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Section: Appendix Ementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Discourse, meaning written and spoken communications by actors, can promote actors' efforts to tackle societal issues that need to be resolved in order to achieve a better society [23][24][25][26]30]. The discovery of actors in the texts is becoming increasingly important to research on social innovation.…”

Section: Narrow Renewable Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

Who Drives the Transition to a Renewable-Energy Economy? Multi-Actor Perspective on Social Innovation

Sung

Park

2018

Sustainability

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“…Although sometimes transformation has happened due to the superior performance of an innovative technologye.g. in the context of electric lightinggovernment policy intervention was frequently a crucial component in the more rapid transformations (Sovacool & Geels, 2016). The performance of aircraft was significantly improved through wartime investment programmes in both the First and Second World Wars (Ruttan, 2006).…”

Section: Which Instruments Have Led To Transformations Of Entire Econmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy instruments for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C – can humanity rise to the challenge?

2018

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In order to mobilize the volume of mitigation required to reach a global emissions path consistent with 1.5°C, policy instruments need to be much more stringent than they have been to date. They will have to ensure full decarbonization of key economic sectors within one generation, which will require retirement of high-carbon assets before the end of their technical lifetime. However, political economy shows that only those instruments will be implemented that benefit well-organized interest groups while spreading costs as widely as possible. In the past, this has led to distortions such as emissions trading systems with systemic overallocation of allowances, or carbon taxes that exempt industry. Under favourable lobbying constellations strong subsidy schemes for mitigation can emerge. Renewable feed-in tariffs in Europe persisted for over two decades and were crucial for the breakthrough of wind and solar power technologies. But once competition from China led to the demise of European technology providers and the European population started to feel the pinch from the surcharges on their electricity bills, feed-in tariffs were abolished. Historically, rapid transformations of the nature required to reach 1.5°C built on either lavish public investment into the underlying infrastructure or a general notion of national emergency. Innovative forms of market mechanisms could convince policy makers that mitigation costs are lower than expected and thus accelerate mitigation. For the long-term success of far-reaching mitigation policies, it will be crucial whether they can be framed as harnessing an opportunity or whether they are seen as a grim, but grudgingly accepted response to a societal emergency. Key policy insights. Interest groups play a key role in the design of mitigation policy instruments and reduce their efficiency as well as effectiveness.. Instruments generating high carbon price levels may in the future be possible if redistribution of revenues is done in a way that soothes the key interest groups.. A mixture of market mechanisms for mobilization of mature mitigation technologies with a dedicated public investment programme for emerging technologies seems promising, provided technologies can be 'weaned off' public support at the right point in time.. For contentious, 'emergency' technologies such as Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) or Solar Radiation Management (SRM), governance mechanisms on the international level are critical.

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“…The transition to a fossil energy system is pursued not as a goal in itself, but was and is the by-product of political and economic development enabled by technological innovation and motivated by opportunities to make a profit [33]. In contrast, a transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy would in itself constitute a goal, allowing for big challenges such as climate change and energy security to be met [34,35]. So far, this difference has not materialized as the rapid adoption of renewable energy that might have been hoped for [36].…”

Section: Renewable Energy In the Pockets Of The Fossil Energy Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Latecomers to the Fossil Energy Transition, Frontrunners for Change? The Relevance of the Energy ‘Underdogs’ for Sustainability Transformations

Schaffartzik

Fischer‐Kowalski

2018

Sustainability

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The global energy system subsumes both extreme wealth (and waste) and extreme poverty. A minority of the global population is consuming the majority of the fossil fuel-based energy and causing global warming. While the mature industrialized economies maintain their high levels of energy consumption, the emerging economies are rapidly expanding their fossil energy systems, emulating traditional patterns of industrialization. We take a global, socio-metabolic perspective on the energy transition phases—take-off, maturation, and completion—of 142 countries between 1971 and 2015. Even within our global fossil energy system, the transition to fossil energy is still ongoing; many countries are in the process of replacing renewable energy with fossil energy. However, due to globally limited supplies and sinks, continuing the fossil energy transition is not an indefinite option. Rather than a “Big Push” for renewable energy within pockets of the fossil energy system, a sustainability transformation is required that would change far more than patterns of energy supply and use. Where this far-reaching change requires pushing back against the fossil energy system, the energy underdogs—the latecomers to the fossil energy transition—just might come out on top.

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Further reflections on the temporality of energy transitions: A response to critics

Cited by 157 publications

References 31 publications

Who Drives the Transition to a Renewable-Energy Economy? Multi-Actor Perspective on Social Innovation

Who Drives the Transition to a Renewable-Energy Economy? Multi-Actor Perspective on Social Innovation

Policy instruments for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C – can humanity rise to the challenge?

Latecomers to the Fossil Energy Transition, Frontrunners for Change? The Relevance of the Energy ‘Underdogs’ for Sustainability Transformations

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