The policy pointers presented in this report are the result of a three-year (2015-18) research pr... more The policy pointers presented in this report are the result of a three-year (2015-18) research project led by Federico Caprotti at the University of Exeter. The project, Smart Eco-Cities for a Green Economy: A Comparative Analysis of Europe and China, was delivered by a research consortium comprising scholars and researchers in the UK, China, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. The aim of the project was to investigate the way in which smart city and eco-city strategies are used to enable a transition towards digital and green economies.
In this paper, we use insights derived from a critical evaluation of ecological modernisation the... more In this paper, we use insights derived from a critical evaluation of ecological modernisation theories to examine the origins and influence of new, market-based, forms of carbon governance. Focusing on two key examples-emissions trading in Europe and the global market in offsets-we argue that ecological modernisation theories can help us understand the processes through which the seemingly intractable problem of climate change has been reframed as an opportunity to construct a new carbon economy and anticipate some of the tensions, contradictions and limits of such an approach. We then explore the governance dimensions of these novel market mechanisms, look at how they work, and then discuss whether, to what extent and for whom they work. We highlight a series of (un)-intended consequences that flow from these practices and modes of governing. We conclude by discussing the significance of these observations both for debates on climate change and the governance of carbon and for theories of ecological modernisation.
Despite continued uncertainty about the physical realities and political, economic and social imp... more Despite continued uncertainty about the physical realities and political, economic and social implications of peak oil, combined concerns about oil scarcity, climate change and globalisation has spawned an energetic relocalisation movement dedicated to achieving a comprehensive reduction in oil dependency through community-scale initiatives. This paper uses a discourse approach to examine the emergence, geographical spread and practices of the Transition Network, a UK-originated relocalisation movement now involving 186 local initiatives in the UK and other countries. We trace the movement's drawing upon, and innovation from, discourses and techniques used by other grassroots environmental movements to promote a spatial representation of peak oil as an inevitable and geographically undiscriminating problem, and its use of addiction metaphors and participatory techniques to promote personal and community-scale energy descent initiatives as a viable and necessary alternative to globalisation. We also analyse the spatial representations and techniques used in the Network's ''rhizomic" spread across multiple localities around the world and embedding in communities where relocalisation initiatives are established. We conclude by examining the future challenges these spatial constructions of peak oil pose for the relocalisation movement.
... Ian Bailey, Geoff A Wilson School of Geography, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymout... more ... Ian Bailey, Geoff A Wilson School of Geography, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, England; e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Received 12 December 2007; in revised form 14 July 2008; published online 6 August 2009 ...
ABSTRACT This chapter deals with how the European Union negotiates on energy and climate change i... more ABSTRACT This chapter deals with how the European Union negotiates on energy and climate change issues with Brazil, Russia, India and China. The chapter summarises and analyses the ways in which the EU has sought to elicit practical action from these four countries, beyond multilateral negotiations, through initiatives such as the provision of sustainable development funding for avoided deforestation in Brazil. Other foci of analysis include energy relations between the EU and Russia, and China’s role as a key provider of manufactured goods for western markets. The underlying purpose of this chapter is to give readers a detailed appreciation of how bilateral relations between each of the four countries and the EU interact with multilateral climate negotiations to shape the internal climate/energy politics of the BRIC countries.
Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography, 2014
This special issue editorial explores potential research interfaces between human geography and t... more This special issue editorial explores potential research interfaces between human geography and the rapidly unfolding concept and practices of the "green economy". The article outlines a range of critical issues about the green economy that are particularly pertinent and suited to geographical analysis. The first concerns questions around the construction of the green economy concept and critical questioning of current, largely hegemonic neoliberal, growth-focused and technocentric definitions of the green economy. The second broaches the spatial complexities of green economic transitions, while the third discusses the need for critical appraisal of the logics and mechanisms of governance and transition that see the green economy as a key mechanism for economic, social and environmental change. The fourth focuses on the crucial issue of micro-level and individual practices and behaviour, and on links between individual behaviour and wider economicenvironmental governance and economic systems. Finally, the article discusses the need for scholars to engage in imaginative consideration of alternatives to current, growth-focused paradigms and conceptualizations of the green economy.
Although there is a clear trend towards stronger climate policies across a wide range of countrie... more Although there is a clear trend towards stronger climate policies across a wide range of countries, another much less recognized but no less significant trend is the continued introduction of policies that increase net greenhouse gas emissions. This article introduces the concept of "anti-climate policy" as a means of focusing attention on these, and investigates their frequency in China, the US and EU, the three largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The investigation reveals that anti-climate policies take many forms and that most types are being extensively used by governments in China, the US and EU. This significantly impedes progress towards bringing emissions under control. We argue that anti-climate policies need to be recognized as an important feature of climate politics and that they need to be addressed if dangerous climate change is to be avoided. We conclude that anti-climate policies can best be tackled by targeting approvals of new fossil fuel power stations, efforts to extend trade liberalization, proposals to introduce new fossil fuel subsidies, and approvals of new airports.
ABSTRACT The few systematic international comparisons of climate policy strength made so far have... more ABSTRACT The few systematic international comparisons of climate policy strength made so far have serious weaknesses, particularly those that assign arbitrary weightings to different policy instrument types in order to calculate an aggregate score for policy strength. This article avoids these problems by ranking the six biggest emitters by far - China, the US, the EU, India, Russia, and Japan - on a set of six key policy instruments that are individually potent and together representative of climate policy as a whole: carbon taxes, emissions trading, feed-in tariffs, renewable energy quotas, fossil fuel power plant bans, and vehicle emissions standards. The results cast strong doubt on any idea that there is a clear hierarchy on climate policy with Europe at the top: the EU does lead on a number of policies but so does Japan. China, the US, and India each lead on one area. Russia is inactive on all fronts. At the same time climate policy everywhere remains weak compared to what it could be.
ABSTRACT Negotiated agreements are becoming an increasingly popular instrument for regulating the... more ABSTRACT Negotiated agreements are becoming an increasingly popular instrument for regulating the environmental performance of industry. Although the main purpose of agreements is to modify the behaviour of individual business, the co-ordinating role of business associations is often critical to their success. As such, a clear and mutually agreed understanding of the association's role at each stage of the policy process is essential. This paper examines the nature of trade associations' input into the negotiation and implementation of Climate Change Agreements in the United Kingdom. Results show associations fulfilling a variety of coordinating roles, including the aggregation of members' viewpoints, the negotiation of agreements, the provision of regulatory and technical knowledge, and the collation of performance data. We conclude that further expansion of the role of trade associations in negotiated agreements may bring appreciable benefits for this method of regulation, particularly within sectors dominated by small-medium enterprises.
The policy pointers presented in this report are the result of a three-year (2015-18) research pr... more The policy pointers presented in this report are the result of a three-year (2015-18) research project led by Federico Caprotti at the University of Exeter. The project, Smart Eco-Cities for a Green Economy: A Comparative Analysis of Europe and China, was delivered by a research consortium comprising scholars and researchers in the UK, China, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. The aim of the project was to investigate the way in which smart city and eco-city strategies are used to enable a transition towards digital and green economies.
In this paper, we use insights derived from a critical evaluation of ecological modernisation the... more In this paper, we use insights derived from a critical evaluation of ecological modernisation theories to examine the origins and influence of new, market-based, forms of carbon governance. Focusing on two key examples-emissions trading in Europe and the global market in offsets-we argue that ecological modernisation theories can help us understand the processes through which the seemingly intractable problem of climate change has been reframed as an opportunity to construct a new carbon economy and anticipate some of the tensions, contradictions and limits of such an approach. We then explore the governance dimensions of these novel market mechanisms, look at how they work, and then discuss whether, to what extent and for whom they work. We highlight a series of (un)-intended consequences that flow from these practices and modes of governing. We conclude by discussing the significance of these observations both for debates on climate change and the governance of carbon and for theories of ecological modernisation.
Despite continued uncertainty about the physical realities and political, economic and social imp... more Despite continued uncertainty about the physical realities and political, economic and social implications of peak oil, combined concerns about oil scarcity, climate change and globalisation has spawned an energetic relocalisation movement dedicated to achieving a comprehensive reduction in oil dependency through community-scale initiatives. This paper uses a discourse approach to examine the emergence, geographical spread and practices of the Transition Network, a UK-originated relocalisation movement now involving 186 local initiatives in the UK and other countries. We trace the movement's drawing upon, and innovation from, discourses and techniques used by other grassroots environmental movements to promote a spatial representation of peak oil as an inevitable and geographically undiscriminating problem, and its use of addiction metaphors and participatory techniques to promote personal and community-scale energy descent initiatives as a viable and necessary alternative to globalisation. We also analyse the spatial representations and techniques used in the Network's ''rhizomic" spread across multiple localities around the world and embedding in communities where relocalisation initiatives are established. We conclude by examining the future challenges these spatial constructions of peak oil pose for the relocalisation movement.
... Ian Bailey, Geoff A Wilson School of Geography, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymout... more ... Ian Bailey, Geoff A Wilson School of Geography, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, England; e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Received 12 December 2007; in revised form 14 July 2008; published online 6 August 2009 ...
ABSTRACT This chapter deals with how the European Union negotiates on energy and climate change i... more ABSTRACT This chapter deals with how the European Union negotiates on energy and climate change issues with Brazil, Russia, India and China. The chapter summarises and analyses the ways in which the EU has sought to elicit practical action from these four countries, beyond multilateral negotiations, through initiatives such as the provision of sustainable development funding for avoided deforestation in Brazil. Other foci of analysis include energy relations between the EU and Russia, and China’s role as a key provider of manufactured goods for western markets. The underlying purpose of this chapter is to give readers a detailed appreciation of how bilateral relations between each of the four countries and the EU interact with multilateral climate negotiations to shape the internal climate/energy politics of the BRIC countries.
Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography, 2014
This special issue editorial explores potential research interfaces between human geography and t... more This special issue editorial explores potential research interfaces between human geography and the rapidly unfolding concept and practices of the "green economy". The article outlines a range of critical issues about the green economy that are particularly pertinent and suited to geographical analysis. The first concerns questions around the construction of the green economy concept and critical questioning of current, largely hegemonic neoliberal, growth-focused and technocentric definitions of the green economy. The second broaches the spatial complexities of green economic transitions, while the third discusses the need for critical appraisal of the logics and mechanisms of governance and transition that see the green economy as a key mechanism for economic, social and environmental change. The fourth focuses on the crucial issue of micro-level and individual practices and behaviour, and on links between individual behaviour and wider economicenvironmental governance and economic systems. Finally, the article discusses the need for scholars to engage in imaginative consideration of alternatives to current, growth-focused paradigms and conceptualizations of the green economy.
Although there is a clear trend towards stronger climate policies across a wide range of countrie... more Although there is a clear trend towards stronger climate policies across a wide range of countries, another much less recognized but no less significant trend is the continued introduction of policies that increase net greenhouse gas emissions. This article introduces the concept of "anti-climate policy" as a means of focusing attention on these, and investigates their frequency in China, the US and EU, the three largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The investigation reveals that anti-climate policies take many forms and that most types are being extensively used by governments in China, the US and EU. This significantly impedes progress towards bringing emissions under control. We argue that anti-climate policies need to be recognized as an important feature of climate politics and that they need to be addressed if dangerous climate change is to be avoided. We conclude that anti-climate policies can best be tackled by targeting approvals of new fossil fuel power stations, efforts to extend trade liberalization, proposals to introduce new fossil fuel subsidies, and approvals of new airports.
ABSTRACT The few systematic international comparisons of climate policy strength made so far have... more ABSTRACT The few systematic international comparisons of climate policy strength made so far have serious weaknesses, particularly those that assign arbitrary weightings to different policy instrument types in order to calculate an aggregate score for policy strength. This article avoids these problems by ranking the six biggest emitters by far - China, the US, the EU, India, Russia, and Japan - on a set of six key policy instruments that are individually potent and together representative of climate policy as a whole: carbon taxes, emissions trading, feed-in tariffs, renewable energy quotas, fossil fuel power plant bans, and vehicle emissions standards. The results cast strong doubt on any idea that there is a clear hierarchy on climate policy with Europe at the top: the EU does lead on a number of policies but so does Japan. China, the US, and India each lead on one area. Russia is inactive on all fronts. At the same time climate policy everywhere remains weak compared to what it could be.
ABSTRACT Negotiated agreements are becoming an increasingly popular instrument for regulating the... more ABSTRACT Negotiated agreements are becoming an increasingly popular instrument for regulating the environmental performance of industry. Although the main purpose of agreements is to modify the behaviour of individual business, the co-ordinating role of business associations is often critical to their success. As such, a clear and mutually agreed understanding of the association's role at each stage of the policy process is essential. This paper examines the nature of trade associations' input into the negotiation and implementation of Climate Change Agreements in the United Kingdom. Results show associations fulfilling a variety of coordinating roles, including the aggregation of members' viewpoints, the negotiation of agreements, the provision of regulatory and technical knowledge, and the collation of performance data. We conclude that further expansion of the role of trade associations in negotiated agreements may bring appreciable benefits for this method of regulation, particularly within sectors dominated by small-medium enterprises.
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