Narratives of Low-Carbon Transitions
This book examines the uncertainties underlying various strategies for a low-carbon future. Most prominently, such strategies relate to transitions in the energy sector, on both the supply and the demand side. At the same time they interact with other sectors, such as industrial production, transport, and building, and ultimately require new behaviour patterns at household and individual levels. Currently, much research is available on the effectiveness of these strategies but, in order to successfully implement comprehensive transition pathways, it is crucial not only to understand the benefits but also the risks.
Filling this gap, this volume provides an interdisciplinary, conceptual framework to assess risks and uncertainties associated with low-carbon policies and applies this consistently across 11 country cases from around the world, illustrating alternative transition pathways in various contexts. The cases are presented as narratives, drawing on stakeholder-driven research efforts. They showcase diverse empirical evidence reflecting the complex challenges to and potential negative consequences of such pathways. Together, they enable the reader to draw valuable lessons on the risks and uncertainties associated with choosing the envisaged transition pathways, as well as ways to manage the implementation of these pathways and ultimately enable sustainable and lasting social and environmental effects.
This book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and practitioners of environmental and energy policy, low-carbon transitions, renewable energy technologies, climate change action, and sustainability in general.
Susanne Hanger-Kopp is a researcher at the Institute for Environmental Decisions at ETH Zrich, Switzerland, and at the Risk and Resilience Program of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria.
Jenny Lieu is a research fellow at the University of Sussex, UK, and guest researcher at the Transdisciplinary Lap of the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zrich, Switzerland.
Alexandros Nikas is a researcher at the Management & Decision Support Systems Laboratory of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece.
Routledge Studies in Energy Transitions
Considerable interest exists today in energy transitions. Whether one looks at diverse efforts to decarbonise, or strategies to improve the access levels, security and innovation in energy systems, one finds that change in energy systems is a prime priority.
Routledge Studies in Energy Transitions aims to advance the thinking which underlies these efforts. The series connects distinct lines of inquiry from planning and policy, engineering and the natural sciences, history of technology, STS, and management. In doing so, it provides primary references that function like a set of international, technical meetings. Single and co-authored monographs are welcome, as well as edited volumes relating to themes, like resilience and system risk.
Series Editor: Dr. Kathleen Arajo, Boise State University and Energy Policy Institute, Center for Advanced Energy Studies (US)
Series Advisory Board
Morgan Bazilian, Colorado School of Mines (US)
Thomas Birkland, North Carolina State University (US)
Aleh Cherp, Central European University (CEU, Budapest) and Lund University (Sweden)
Mohamed El-Ashry, UN Foundation
Jose Goldemberg, Universidade de Sao Paolo (Brasil) and UN Development Program, World Energy Assessment
Michael Howlett, Simon Fraser University (Canada)
Jon Ingimarsson, Landsvirkjun, National Power Company (Iceland)
Michael Jefferson, ESCP Europe Business School
Jessica Jewell, IIASA (Austria)
Florian Kern, Institut fr kologische Wirtschaftsforschung (Germany)
Derk Loorbach, DRIFT (Netherlands)
Jochen Markard, ETH (Switzerland)
Nabojsa Nakicenovic, IIASA (Austria)
Martin Pasqualetti, Arizona State University, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (US)
Mark Radka, UN Environment Programme, Energy, Climate, and Technology
Rob Raven, Utrecht University (Netherlands)
Roberto Schaeffer, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Energy Planning Program, COPPE (Brasil)
Miranda Schreurs, Technische Universitt Mnchen, Bavarian School of Public Policy (Germany)
Vaclav Smil, University of Manitoba and Royal Society of Canada (Canada)
Benjamin Sovacool, Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex (UK)
Narratives of Low-Carbon Transitions
Understanding Risks and Uncertainties
Edited by Susanne Hanger-Kopp, Jenny Lieu, and Alexandros Nikas
First published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
2019 selection and editorial matter, Susanne Hanger-Kopp, Jenny Lieu, and Alexandros Nikas; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Susanne Hanger-Kopp, Jenny Lieu, and Alexandros Nikas to be identified as the authors of the editorial matter, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hanger-Kopp, Susanne, editor. | Lieu, Jenny, editor. | Nikas, Alexandros, 1989- editor.
Title: Narratives of low-carbon transitions : understanding risks and uncertainties / edited by Susanne Hanger-Kopp, Jenny Lieu and Alexandros Nikas.
Description: Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2019. | Series: Routledge studies in energy transitions | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018052683 (print) | LCCN 2018055200 (ebook) | ISBN 9780429458781 (Master) | ISBN 9781138311589 (hbk) | ISBN 9780429458781 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Renewable energy sources. | Energy conservation. | Carbon dioxide mitigation.
Classification: LCC TJ808 (ebook) | LCC TJ808 .N37 2019 (print) | DDC 621.042dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018052683
ISBN: 978-1-138-31158-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-45878-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Goudy
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Contents
Roco Alvarez-Tinoco is Research Fellow at SPRU (Science Policy Research Unit), University of Sussex. She got her MSc and PhD degree in Science and Technology Policy Studies at SPRU. Her current research focuses on risks and uncertainties in low-carbon mitigation pathways for nuclear and renewables. She has research experience in capabilities development, institutional change, and has worked in several Latin American countries and on R&D and technology transfer in firms.
