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Final Agenda: Theorising Governance Change for a Sustainable Economy
This is the final agenda for our one day workshop on theoretical approaches to understanding change in governance systems, with a particular focus on managing transformation to a more sustainable energy system and economy. Increasingly, research on energy transitions call for greater innovation, not only in technologies, corporate and individual behaviours, but also in political practices. Much of the literature concludes that without a core role for national government(s) in supporting the transition to a sustainable economy, and especially in niche technology markets, progress will be too slow to prevent global temperature rising above two degrees centigrade
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Article: Electricity Markets: The Search for Common Ground
Electricity Markets: The Search for Common Ground Simon Skillings (1), IGov Advisory Group – 24th April 2013 There is a lot of electricity market reform happening in Europe at the moment. There is also a lot of discussion as to whether these reforms are necessary, inadequate, or simply misguided. However, it is less clear that these discussions represent true engagement regarding a well-defined and well understood set of issues. The territory is littered with terms such as ‘market reform’, ‘market failure’, ‘central planning’, ‘the internal energy market’ and ‘capacity payments’ that are poorly defined and yet seem
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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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Report: Ensuring renewable electricity investments
This new report, drafted by a group of 12 internationally renowned renewable electricity policy and market experts, sets out 14 policy principles for ensuring renewable electricity investments for a post-2020 perspective. It reflects the shared views of the expert group on policy principles that need to be met by a framework for post-2020 renewable electricity (RES-E) investments. The aim of this paper is to provide policy makers and interested stakeholders with a set of consensual principles for designing future remuneration schemes that will provide an effective, efficient and societally acceptable framework for RES-E investment in the coming decade. Authors inlcude
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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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Blog: Is the Climate Change Act safe?
Is the Climate Change Act safe? By Matthew Lockwood, 26 March 2013 This post first appeared on the Political Climate website So, the Daily Telegraph has called for the repeal of the 2008 Climate Change Act. A piece of legislation that Tony Blair called revolutionary and Friends of the Earth (who had campaigned for it) called ground-breaking. Our current PM, David Cameron, said that the Act would be remembered long after he’d gone (although acerbic critics might add that that date is fast approaching…). Many environmentalists saw the CCA as a key step, locking the
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New Thinking Blog: Come on Ed – time to convince us that Labour can deliver green growth
Come on Ed – time to convince us that Labour can deliver green growth Caroline Kuzemko, IGov Team, 22nd, March 2013 About Caroline: http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Caroline_Kuzemko Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolineKuzemko It seems that the time is right for Labour to grab both the growth and the sustainable energy mantles. This is not least because it is budget week, which allows for extra Labour air-time. But it is also because of mounting evidence that our Con-Dem Government is failing both to deliver economic growth and to recognise the potential of the low carbon economy. Both Ed Miliband and Ed Balls
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Book Chapter: The political economy of low carbon development
New book chapter from Matthew Lockwood: The political economy of low carbon development in F. Urban and J. Nordensvard (eds.) Low Carbon Development: Key Issues, published by Earthscan/Routledge. For more information visit the Routledge website. Low Carbon Development: Key Issues is the first comprehensive textbook to address the interface between international development and climate change in a carbon constrained world. It discusses the key conceptual, empirical and policy-related issues of low carbon development and takes an international and interdisciplinary approach to the subject by drawing on insights from across the natural sciences and social sciences
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A book review of Carbon Crunch in Juncture
A book review by Catherine Mitchell of Dieter Helm’s Carbon Crunch in IPPR’s quarterly magazine Juncture – it is available via the Wiley website, for subscribers: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291744-
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Guest Blog: Time to learn some nuclear lessons
Dr Bridget Woodman, Energy Policy Group – 19th March 2013. As decision day looms on the level of EDF’s strike price for new nuclear output, it’s worth reflecting for a moment on what this process says for the state of energy policy decision making in the UK. The debate about new nuclear build has been protracted and complex. Back in 2003, nuclear power was ruled out as an economically unattractive option, but by 2007, this position had reversed, with new nuclear build not only an economically viable option, but also the potential saviour in the face of both
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