• Call for Abstracts: Theorising Governance Change for a Sustainable Economy

    February 5, 2013

    Call for Abstracts: Theorising Governance Change for a Sustainable Economy

    For Workshop on 30th April 2013, London The Innovation and Governance (IGov) research group is hosting a 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. More information on IGov and its aims are available from www.exeter.ac.uk/igov 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

    Read More »
  • New Thinking Blog: Do we need a 2030 decarbonisation target for the electricity sector?

    February 4, 2013

    New Thinking Blog: Do we need a 2030 decarbonisation target for the electricity sector?

    Do we need a 2030 decarbonisation target for the electricity sector? Matthew Lockwood, IGov Team, February 5th 2013 It’s widely expected that the electricity sector will lead the transition to a low carbon economy in the UK. Producing about 40% of our carbon emissions, electricity generation plays a central role in determining our overall emissions performance. That is why the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said in 2011 that they thought it should be emitting around 50 grams of CO2 for every kWh of power produced by 2030, compared with over 440gCO2/kWh in 2011. Not

    Read More »
  • Working Paper: The Political Sustainability of the 2008 Climate Change Act

    February 3, 2013

    Working Paper: The Political Sustainability of the 2008 Climate Change Act

    The Political Sustainability of the 2008 Climate Change Act By: Dr Matthew Lockwood,  Energy Policy Group, University of Exeter EPG Working Paper: 1302 Abstract This paper assesses the forces working for and against the political sustainability of the 2008 Climate Change Act. The adoption of the Act is often seen as a landmark commitment by the UK 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 attempted to

    Read More »
  • New Thinking Blog: Book Review of the Carbon Crunch

    January 30, 2013

    New Thinking Blog: Book Review of the Carbon Crunch

    Prof. Catherine Mitchell, IGov Team – 29th January 2013. BOOK REVIEW Overview It is an important time for climate and energy policy decision-making in the UK, and Dieter Helm’s book The Carbon Crunch: How we’re getting climate change wrong – and how to fix it purports to provide the ‘right’ answers. His book is divided into three parts: Why should we worry about climate change? Why is so little being achieved? What should be done? There is no doubt that this is a timely book; it has stimulated welcome debate; and some of its arguments

    Read More »
  • Draft Written Evidence to Scrutiny Committee of the Energy Bill

    January 18, 2013

    Draft Written Evidence to Scrutiny Committee of the Energy Bill

    Draft Written Evidence to Scrutiny Committee of the Energy Bill Prof Catherine Mitchell, University of Exeter. Jan 15th 2013 Introduction The Electricity Market Reform (EMR) process, which has culminated in the Energy Bill, provided an opportunity to establish an energy system fit for the purpose of enabling Britain to move to a secure, efficient and affordable sustainable energy economy.  At the moment, the Energy Bill does not do this. If it goes through as it is without substantial amendments it will represent a wasted opportunity which will have to revisited reasonably soon. The original aim

    Read More »
  • Funding the Future

    January 17, 2013

    Policy Brief on the case for a pre-development capital fund for revenue-generating community renewables Tackling climate change and moving towards a low carbon future requires both the take up of low carbon technologies and changes in the way that people currently use energyi, this will require action across all sectors of society. Community-based renewables are beginning to play an important role in enabling this transformation, particularly through the development of revenue-generating renewable energy assets, which provide a locally owned, low carbon supply and a sustainable income stream that enables communities to take wider action. However, such

    Read More »
  • New Thinking Blog: Energy Oversight Needed

    January 8, 2013

    New Thinking Blog: Energy Oversight Needed

    Prof. Catherine Mitchell, IGov Team – 8th January 2013. The Energy Bill has finally been published and will now go through a scrutiny process. We can hope that various changes will be incorporated. Unless changes are made, we the British public wil be stuck with an Act which does not fundamentally reform the electricity market as it set out to do. Its critics argue that its central component of getting nuclear power off the ground is unlikely to be successful beyond 1-3 power plants – too few to make a dent in the carbon emission reduction

    Read More »
  • Working Paper: Understanding the Politics of Low Carbon Transition

    January 7, 2013

    Working Paper: Understanding the Politics of Low Carbon Transition

    Understanding the Politics of Low Carbon Transition: Context, Paradigms and Power EPG Working Paper: 1301 By: Dr Caroline Kuzemko, Energy Policy Group, University of Exeter Abstract: Given the scale of challenge that climate change presents to society and the urgency implied by limited time frames a growing body of academic work is attempting to conceptualise complex socio-technical transitions, such as in energy systems, and how they take place.  Much can be learnt from this literature about processes of transition, not least that they are underpinned by multiple interconnections that take place in a range of

    Read More »
  • Book: Dynamics of Energy Governance in Europe and Russia

    January 5, 2013

    Book: Dynamics of Energy Governance in Europe and Russia

    Dynamics of Energy Governance in Europe and Russia Edited by Caroline Kuzemko, Andrei V. Belyi, Andreas Goldthau and Michael F. Keating Energy in Europe and Russia is in flux. The authors address key issues in this context and seek to analyze contemporary transition processes in the region’s energy sector. They look at whether and how transnational policy mechanisms can generate sufficient steering capacity to address pressing energy policy issues, including environmental concerns, energy transit or rapidly changing natural gas markets. Moreover, they explore the impact climate change concerns have on policy making in the energy

    Read More »
  • Report: The Renewable Energy Planning Panel

    January 4, 2013

    Report: The Renewable Energy Planning Panel

    The Renewable Energy Planning Panel The Renewable Energy Planning Panel (REPP) was set up in February 2003 to analyse the planning policy issues for renewable energy raised by: the White Paper on Energy Policy and the need to implement a renewable energy policy capable of meeting its vision the proposed revision of Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 22 on Renewable Energy and the requirement of Government to formally reply to the EU in October 2003 about planning issues raised in the Renewables Directive.   The group, chaired by Dr Catherine Mitchell of Warwick Business School, brought together a broad group of

    Read More »
Scroll to top