Johannes Stripple
Associate Professor | Senior Lecturer | Principal Investigator BECC
The missing link: bringing institutions and politics into energy future studies
Author
Summary, in English
Abstract in Undetermined
Energy future studies can be a useful tool for learning about how to induce and manage technical, economic and policy change related to energy supply and use. The private sector has successfully deployed them for strategic planning, examining key parameters such as markets, competition and consumer trends. However in public policy, most energy future studies remain disconnected from policy making. One reason is that they often ignore the key political and institutional factors that underpin much of the anticipated, wished-for or otherwise explored energy systems developments. Still, we know that institutions and politics are critical enablers or constraints to technical and policy change. This paper examines how analytical insights into political and institutional dynamics can enhance energy future studies. It develops an approach that combines systems-technical change scenarios with political and institutional analysis. Using the example of a backcasting study dealing with the long term low-carbon transformation of a national energy system, it applies two levels of institutional and political analysis; at the level of international regimes and at the level of sectoral policy, and examines how future systems changes and policy paths are conditioned by institutional change processes. It finds that the systematic application of these variables significantly enhances and renders more useful backcasting studies of energy futures. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Energy future studies can be a useful tool for learning about how to induce and manage technical, economic and policy change related to energy supply and use. The private sector has successfully deployed them for strategic planning, examining key parameters such as markets, competition and consumer trends. However in public policy, most energy future studies remain disconnected from policy making. One reason is that they often ignore the key political and institutional factors that underpin much of the anticipated, wished-for or otherwise explored energy systems developments. Still, we know that institutions and politics are critical enablers or constraints to technical and policy change. This paper examines how analytical insights into political and institutional dynamics can enhance energy future studies. It develops an approach that combines systems-technical change scenarios with political and institutional analysis. Using the example of a backcasting study dealing with the long term low-carbon transformation of a national energy system, it applies two levels of institutional and political analysis; at the level of international regimes and at the level of sectoral policy, and examines how future systems changes and policy paths are conditioned by institutional change processes. It finds that the systematic application of these variables significantly enhances and renders more useful backcasting studies of energy futures. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Department/s
- Environmental and Energy Systems Studies
- Department of Political Science
- BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
Publishing year
2011
Language
English
Pages
1117-1128
Publication/Series
Futures
Volume
43
Issue
10
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Elsevier
Topic
- Energy Systems
- Political Science
Keywords
- Systems
- Backcasting
- Institutions
- Sweden
- Climate
- Governance
Status
Published
Project
- ADAM - ADaptation And Mitigation Strategies supporting European climate policy
- Governing transitions towards Low-Carbon Energy and Transport Systems for 2050
Research group
- Miljöpolitik
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0016-3287