News
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Book: New Challenges in Energy Security
New Challenges in Energy Security – The UK in a Multipolar World Edited by Catherine Mitchell, Jim Watson and Jessica Whiting We are faced with the twin urgent challenges of delivering a low carbon and secure energy system. The last few years have seen Britain moving from being a net exporter to a net importer of energy. The threat of climate change has led to the slow but inexorable inclusion of environmental concerns in mainstream energy policy. Against this backdrop, economic and political power around the globe has altered, creating a complex, multipolar world. Rising
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Paper: The Political Sustainability of Climate Policy: The case of the UK
The Political Sustainability of Climate Policy: The case of the UK By: Matthew Lockwood In: Global Environmental Change Abstract: This paper assesses the forces working for and against the political sustainability ofthe UK 2008 Climate Change Act. The adoption of the Act is seen as a landmark commitment to action on climate change, but its implementation has not been studied in any depth. Recent events, including disagreements over the fourth carbon budget and the decarbonisation of the electricity sector, shows that while the Act might appear to lock in a commitment to reducing emissions through
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Article: How to Change the Balance of Power
How to Change the Balance of Power Catherine Mitchell in the New Statesman Century This article descibes energy use over the last one hundred years and reflects on how well Birtish energy policy is set to meet the challenges of the next century (Pages 118-119). New Statesman: http://www.newstatesman.com/century
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Working Paper: Governance, Innovation and the Transition to a Sustainable Energy System: Perspectives from Economic Theory
Governance, Innovation and the Transition to a Sustainable Energy System: Perspectives from Economic Theory By: Matthew Lockwood EPG Working Paper: 1305 Abstract: This paper reviews basic ideas in economic theory about the governance of innovation, with applications to debates in innovation in sustainable energy. The aim is to extract a few broad issues to frame comparative analysis and the analysis of change. The review is motivated by the relevance of economic theory to innovation policy, by the fact that economics remains the dominant language of policy makers, and by gaps between the economic treatment of
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New Thinking Blog: There go 1 million fuel poor: How new measurements solve fuel poverty
There go 1 million fuel poor: How new measurements solve fuel poverty Caroline Kuzemko & Tom Steward, IGov Team, 25th July 2013 About Caroline: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Caroline_Kuzemko Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolineKuzemko About Tom: http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/igov/people/igov-team/tom-steward/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steward_T Last week our coalition government produced a policy review of fuel poverty – marking a departure both from previous methods of measuring who is fuel poor and from previous policies. When Labour had come to power in 1997, although little else changed with regard to the direction of energy policy, attitudes towards fuel poverty did shift. This became clear
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New Thinking Blog: The Structural Barriers to a Sustainable Economy – what the political parties have to overcome
The Structural Barriers to a Sustainable Economy: what the political parties have to overcome Catherine Mitchell, IGov Team, 16th July, 2013 About Catherine: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Catherine_Mitchell In this weeks The New Statesman Century, I argue that the British energy system has developed six characteristics over the last century which raise concerns for Britain’s ability to successfully undertake the transition to a sustainable economy: (1) our centralised energy system; (2) the dominance of a few large companies which expect to make money selling energy; (3) the laissez fair market orientated policy paradigm, including our system of regulation, which undermines
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Working Paper: Theorising governance and innovation in sustainable energy transitions
Theorising governance and innovation in sustainable energy transitions By: Matthew Lockwood, Caroline Kuzemko, Catherine Mitchell, Richard Hoggett – Energy Policy Group, University of Exeter EPG Working Paper: 1304 Abstract: Understanding why and how it is that some countries are able to implement policies which lead to deeper and faster change in sustainable practices and outcomes is an important step in enabling an acceleration in the transition to a sustainable energy future. This paper presents a tentative, provisional framework for analysing energy system transition, differential outcomes and the reasons for them. It suggests that energy system rules
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New Thinking Blog: The (German) tortoise and the (British) hare
The (German) tortoise and the (British) hare Matthew Lockwood, IGov Team, 1st July 2013 About Matthew: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Matthew_Lockwood Twitter: https://twitter.com/climatepolitics This blog first appeared on Political Climate: http://politicalclimate.net/2013/06/28/the-german-tortoise-and-the-british-hare/ I have been looking at long-term trends in grid electricity carbon coefficients (i.e. how much CO2 is generated across the whole electricity system to produce a given amount of power). This is a good overall indicator of the sustainability of the electricity system in a country from a climate point of view, and is determined by the fuel mix. The trends for the UK and Germany since 1990 (shown
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Presentation: FITs and RPSs are under attack
FITs and RPSs are under attack – what are the issues and how do we address them? From: Catherine Mitchell To: The Regulatory Assistance Project – Vermont, USA, June 2013 Download Presenation: Mitchell 19 June 2013 RAP
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Presentation: Community energy – benefits to Cornwall
Presentation: Community energy – benefits to Cornwall From: Catherine Mitchell To: Green Cornwall Show – Cornwall, June 2013 Download Presentation: Mitchell Green Cornwall 27 June 2013 Overview: • How important is a Green Cornwall • What is the climate change challenge? • The importance of beacons of excellence • Energy prices and affordability • Small beginnings can lead to big changes • Is everything in place for Britain
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