These pages set out our wider thinking on issues relating to innovation, governance and practice for a sustainable, secure and affordable energy system.
New Thinking
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New Thinking Blog: Understanding Energy Transition
Understanding Energy Transition Caroline Kuzemko, IGov Team, 24th June, 2013 About Caroline: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Caroline_Kuzemko Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolineKuzemko Those of us who are interested in sustainable energy transition need to develop deeper understandings of how and why change of a profound nature takes place. Looking at our complex world from a climate change perspective, however, inclines us to focus on new knowledge about anthropogenic climate change as the principal driver for change to current energy governance institutions. For example, we often cite this knowledge as underpinning international and domestic targets for reducing carbon emissions as well as related
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New Thinking Blog: March of the market makers?
March of the market makers? Matthew Lockwood, IGov Team, 14th June 2013 About Matthew: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Matthew_Lockwood Twitter: https://twitter.com/climatepolitics Ofgem’s new proposals for liquidity in the wholesale electricity market, out this week, have already attracted a lot of attention. The press release says that : “Industry has responded positively to some of the challenges Ofgem has set for increasing liquidity in the wholesale power market”, but reports are already filtering through that the Big Six are, not surprisingly, unhappy. If the changes do come through, it is unclear what the implications would be for movement towards a
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New Thinking Blog: What the decarbonisation vote says about Britain
What the decarbonisation vote says about Britain Catherine Mitchell, IGov Team, 7th June, 2013 About Catherine: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Catherine_Mitchell On 4 June 2013, 290 MPs to 267 voted against an amendment to the Energy Bill to include a decarbonisation target of 30% by 2030. Such a target is in line with the Committee on Climate Change’s (CCC) recommendation to meet the UK’s policy of 80% cut by 2050, which in turn relates to maintaining a 2 degree global rise in climate change. A 30% target would also fit with wider requirements to get Europe onto a pathway
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New Thinking Blog: Climate Governance by Targets: Where are we now?
Climate Governance by Targets: Where are we now? Caroline Kuzemko, IGov Team, 5th June, 2013 About Caroline: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Caroline_Kuzemko Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolineKuzemko A recent and perhaps controversial report by the Berlin based think-tank, SWP Berlin, poses some interesting questions about the global warming limit, and about climate governance by target setting. It strongly suggests, based on current global emissions trends, that the 2°C limit will be exceeded. It proceeds however not by discussing what policies are still needed in order that the target be met, but by taking the more radical step of analysing ways in which
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New Thinking Blog: Contracts for Difference – Devilishly Detailed
Contracts for Difference – Devilishly Detailed Tom Steward, IGov Team, 30th May, 2013 About Tom: http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/igov/people/igov-team/tom-steward/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steward_T It seems the Government and EDF may be moving towards shaking hands on a deal to financially support to a new nuclear plant in Somerset, Hinkley C. Unsurprisingly, this has led to enormous speculation over how much consumers will have to shell out over the coming decades – such as here, here and here. These figures are little short of terrifying, and although I think they should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt[1], I want to explain why
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New Thinking Blog: Climate, People and Scale – Why we are missing opportunities for real change
Climate, People and Scale – why we are missing opportunities for real change Richard Hoggett, IGov Team, 22nd April 2013 About Richard: http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/igov/people/igov-team/richard-hoggett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoggettRD The gap between the rhetoric and reality in climate and energy policy has never been wider. We recently passed the symbolically important 400 parts per million level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, a level not seen for millions of years; and WWF asked how long will it be before we hit 450ppm, the level at which there is a 50:50 chance of keeping global warming to less than two
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New Thinking Blog: Will the negawatt solution work in the domestic sector?
Will the negawatt solution work in the domestic sector? Matthew Lockwood, IGov Team, 14th May 2013 About Matthew: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Matthew_Lockwood Twitter: https://twitter.com/climatepolitics The idea that the best way to provide energy is simply to avoid unnecessary use in the first place has been around for some time. Back in 1989, Amory Lovins coined the term “negawatts” (energy saved by cutting out waste) to emphasise the contrast with megawatts of power or heat that needs to be generated if that waste is not eradicated. With the current Energy Bill potentially providing the biggest chance in a decade for rethinking
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New Thinking Blog: British energy policy: descending to a combination of pork barrel politics and desperation?
British energy policy: descending to a combination of pork barrel politics and desperation? Catherine Mitchell, IGov Team, 10th May, 2013 About Catherine: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Catherine_Mitchell Given that everyone – householders through to businesses – use energy, and that its use is a major cause of climate change, energy policy has significant implications for everyone in society. It can be a force for good – providing jobs; making lives more comfortable as houses become more energy efficient (warmer and free of draughts); be a stimulator of innovation, skills and new economic growth; and enabling those individuals and
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New Thinking Blog: We need policy certainty to create low carbon supply chains
We need policy certainty to create low carbon supply chains Richard Hoggett, IGov Team, 22nd April 2013 About Richard: http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/igov/people/igov-team/richard-hoggett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoggettRD It can increasingly be claimed that within industrial nations, climate policy is essentially about energy policy, and the IEA’s report last week starkly brought home how much we need to do if we are going to keep to an average global temperature rise to 2°C (a level that is by no means safe). Despite rapid growth in low carbon generation, the increasing global use of coal has resulted in average unit
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Climate Change in the Classroom
Climate Change in the Classroom Tom Steward, IGov Team, 15th April, 2013 About Tom: http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/igov/people/igov-team/tom-steward/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steward_T We all want the best for our children. Look forward but a few years and you will likely see a world that is a very different place to live – this is the legacy we leave to the next generation. I want my kids to enjoy a high quality of life, in a world free from the effects of unmitigated climate change. It seems however, that the Department of Education (DfE) is currently engaged in activities that
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