Energy transition calls for dialogue with society

A systematic assessment of current energy systems and their capacity for adaptation, to meet the twin challenges of eradication of energy poverty and climate change mitigation, needs to be at the centre of long-term strategic decision making at all levels-individual, local, industrial, national, regional and global. However, key political, economic and socio-technical aspects of energy systems and their effects on obstruction or facilitation of energy transitions, remain under-represented in policy making (Miller, et al., 2013, p. 135). This essay will investigate the political, economic and socio-technical complications of energy transitions with an emphasis on the interconnection of these challenges and its implications for the duration and nature of future energy transitions. The first section of the essay will evaluate the strengths and shortcomings of the definitions of 'energy transitions' used in the literature with the aim of distilling the good qualities of some of these definitions and incorporating them into a form that can be useful for answering the question at hand. The sections that follow will explain the political and socio-technical challenges of energy transitions (alongside key economic challenges) and how these are interlinked. In this essay, no single country has been used as a case study and instead examples of several different countries and their experiences of energy transitions have been employed because one of the chief objectives is to make a case for the sheer differences in the challenges faced by countries which render a solitary theory unavailing. Lastly, the essay will elaborate on the consequences of these challenges on the characteristics and progression of future energy transitions.

sussex.ac.uk

Energy, Sustainability and Society

Background: The goal of the energy transition in Germany is to achieve a sustainable supply of energy. Providing advice for decision-makers to either continue the current transition pathway or implement strategic adjustments requires a comprehensive assessment tool. The authors have developed a Sustainability Indicator System (SIS) consisting of 45 indicators to assess if policy measures implemented so far by the Federal Government are appropriate and sufficient to achieve the energy policy targets and, furthermore, the sustainability targets defined for the German energy system. Methods: The assessment is carried out applying the SIS. For each indicator, a linear projection was calculated, based on the past 5 years for which data were available, assuming that this trend will continue in a linear way until 2020. Then, the projected value for 2020 resulting from the trend was compared to the political or defined target for 2020. The assessment was based on distance-to-target considerations, i.e. to which degree the set, proposed or desirable target will be met within the framework of the existing energy policy. The results are illustrated using a traffic light colour code. Indicators with less than 5 years of data available were given a white traffic light since no assessment was possible. Results: A profound view on eight selected sustainability indicators that are not already part of the German monitoring process 'Energy of the Future' and a comprehensive overview on the sustainability assessment of the German energy system are presented. The results show that 24% of the assessed indicators are rated with a green, 7% with a yellow, 45% with a red and 24% with a white traffic light. This means that it cannot be expected that the sustainability targets defined for the German energy system will be achieved by 2020 without substantial modifications of political strategies and measures implemented so far. Conclusions: The developed SIS is a comprehensive decision support and navigation tool with respect to long-term governance of the German energy transition. It aims to assess and monitor the overall sustainability performance of the energy system, to identify unsustainable energy strategies and measures as well as trade-offs and to evaluate the achievements or failures of policies regarding the energy transition. It can also be adapted to assess the sustainability of the energy systems in other European countries.

Sustainability, 2022

Active participation of citizens in the sustainable energy transition—particularly in energy communities—is explicitly desired by the European Union and considered vital for a successful transformation of Europe’s energy system. Currently, energy communities, i.e., citizen-led groups generating energy from renewable sources can be found across Europe, though current numbers are small. However, it is expected that the majority of EU households will be active in some form in the generation of energy by 2050. In order to understand how such a development could come about, and if desired, how it could be ensured, we developed and applied a quasi-dynamic model using the Cross-Impact Balance (CIB) approach and with it analyzed and assessed such a transition in detail. Data for the CIB model was derived from case studies, interviews, three surveys including two discrete choice experiments, expert workshops, and complementary secondary data. A central consideration of the model is a differe...

International Journal of Environmental Technology and …, 2008

2017

The information presented in this deliverable summarises the outputs from three distinct strands of research carried out for the ENTRUST Horizon 2020 research project. This research is exploring the energy system from multiple perspectives. They include the more traditional, techno-centric market approach; and public policy oriented appraisals; in addition to applying innovative engagements that capture human-centred perspectives of people experiencing the intersecting nexuses that comprise the energy system. <strong>Aim</strong> Decisions on how the energy system is transitioning to low-carbon configurations will have, and is having, very real impacts on society and how people live their lives. In order to understand these societal intersections with the material configurations of the energy system, ENTRUST has sought to identify where many of these intersections arise, how they are created and then negotiated, within a complex nexus of choices, freedoms and controls th...

Environmental Policy and Governance, 2020

In recent years, the concept of "energy justice" has attracted much attention and research effort. Although all policy issues related to energy justice are worthy of further study, the time constraints posed by the looming threat of climate change suggests the need for coordinated policy research efforts. At the current stage of development of European societies, we consider that four policy research strands might be most important in the light of specific evolving trends of European energy systems. Therefore, we propose these priorities as a shared research agenda for academic and policy researchers. In this article, we develop and discuss the following four research priority strands: (a) intergenerational justice and energy justice, (b) justice and energy vulnerability, (c) transformation of the social imaginary and energy infrastructure, and (d) damage, compensation, and energy infrastructure. For each topic, we highlight their critical issues and research opportunities. We conclude that these priorities are necessary not only to accelerate the energy transition but also to avoid negative impacts that climate change and the transition phase could produce on already established patterns of inequality.

"Since 2011, at the latest, the issue of “Energiewende” has become a major political topic in Germany. The promotion of renewable energies, nuclear phase-out, grid expansion and other issues are related to an “Energiewende” that summarizes a normative concept of the transition towards a sustainable energy system. Although the term Energiewende exists since the early 1980s, it has become increasingly important and of higher public concern over the last years – with actions for sustainable energy systems all over the world. What do these energy transitions look like? What are the driving forces behind? What are the barriers to be overcome? Which actors play a role? What are their instruments? Who is pursuing which interests? This seminar takes these questions as a starting point to explore the current status of Energiewende around the world – focusing on Europe and selected countries around the world. The course will start with the German Energiewende setting and theoretical implications from political science. We will then have a closer look at case studies from European and other countries. Differences and similarities will be discussed to provide an outlook at the end of the seminar. This seminar aims to tackle the topic of Energiewende in a comparative way, raise awareness for the complexity of the issues and demonstrate best practices as well as barriers for its political implementation. We will also look at the Energiewende in the context of a sustainability transition of the society. "

International Journal of Social Research, 2017

Research Article IJSR (2017) 1:10 Exploring the need for government energy policy-makers to consider social impacts As governments around the world aim to develop and enact policies that promote benefits to the public good, there is an increasing need to identify and acknowledge the social impacts of such policies. In some cases, the social impacts may be unexpected. An example is the social impact related to renewable energy policies, particularly as related to industrial-scale wind power generation. In Ontario, Canada, the push toward large-scale or utility-scale wind power development has resulted in: economic change; social discontent in some affected rural communities; and, concerns about adverse health effects. If the usual avenues of social input to decision-making processes have been removed by legislation, an imposed government policy may result in loss of confidence and, despite the government's good intentions, may not achieve the intended outcome. While citizens may protest that a policy has inflicted significant social change without consent, some governments may maintain that the overarching goal of environmental benefit outweighs social concerns. This article explores the social impact of wind energy development in Ontario, Canada's rural communities, and suggests a greater role for social research in informing future policy development.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 2012

Reducing greenhouse gases by 80%, as demanded by the IPCC, is one of the great long-term challenges facing our societies today and will doubtless require transformative changes to current energy regimes. Large-scale system transitions such as the one envisaged for the global energy system in the next 30-40 years can only be realized through complex processes of change involving global, regional, national, and local levels.