Article
Environmental Studies
Phil Johnstone, Karoline S. Rogge, Paula Kivimaa, Chiara Farne Fratini, Eeva Primmer
Summary: Industrial policy varies across national contexts, and its role in different countries’ energy transitions is not well-studied. Key stakeholders in the energy sector in Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark have different perceptions of industrial policy, which reflects broader differences in political institutions and cultures. The analysis highlights the relationship between sustainability transitions and industrial policy, and identifies elements that can facilitate or hinder low-carbon transitions.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
D. R. E. Cotton, J. Zhai, W. Miller, L. Dalla Valle, J. Winter
Summary: This study explores the differences in energy literacy and environmental attitudes between university students in the UK and China, revealing that UK students have higher perceived knowledge of energy issues and more positive attitudes towards energy conservation, while Chinese students exhibit higher levels of trust in government and businesses to take action on energy issues. The findings suggest that a combination of educational and structural changes may be beneficial in supporting the transition to a cleaner, low-energy society.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Economics
Michael Bradshaw, Patrick Devine-Wright, Darrick Evensen, Owen King, Abigail Martin, Stacia Ryder, Damien Short, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Paul Stretesky, Anna Szolucha, Laurence Williams
Summary: This paper explores the failure of the UK Government in shale gas development, combining literature review, expert interviews, household interviews, surveys, and content analysis of political testimony. It examines the framing of the shale gas debate in the national Parliament, changing public perceptions, and the attitudes and experiences of affected communities. The paper concludes with lessons learned from the initial policy failure.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Greg Muttitt, James Price, Steve Pye, Dan Welsby
Summary: While it is important to phase out coal power, it may be challenging to do so quickly in countries heavily reliant on coal. This research suggests that meeting temperature targets would require faster reduction of emissions from the global North and global oil and gas production. The rapid decline of coal power generation in pathways limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius raises questions about its feasibility in coal-dependent countries.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Economics
Katja Heinisch, Oliver Holtemoeller, Christoph Schult
Summary: The study suggests that coal phase-out in Germany may lead to negative impacts on the employment rate, especially in lignite regions. However, a faster coal phase-out plan could contribute to a quicker economic recovery.
Article
Economics
Bernd Hayo, Sascha Mierzwa
Summary: This study examines the announcement effect of legislated tax changes on GDP in the US, Germany, and the UK. The results indicate that economic activity declines (increases) in the US (the UK) after tax cuts are implemented, while Germany remains unaffected. Furthermore, the analysis shows that US GDP drops regardless of the business cycle, while UK GDP only rises during non-recessionary times, and German GDP rises (drops) during recessions (non-recessions).
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mark T. Ireland, Rachel Brown, Miles P. Wilson, Paul B. Stratesky, Andrew Kingdon, Richard J. Davies
Summary: The decarbonization of energy systems to achieve net zero carbon emissions is likely to drive rapid development of carbon capture and storage, subsurface energy storage, and geothermal energy projects. Subsurface data, especially seismic reflection surveys and borehole data, are crucial for geoscientists and engineers to assess opportunities and risks. However, the potential bias in legacy data distribution should be taken into account when utilizing these data for decision-making.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Arne Poestges, Michael Bucksteeg, Oliver Ruhnau, Diana Boettger, Markus Haller, Eglantine Kuenle, David Ritter, Richard Schmitz, Michael Wiedmann
Summary: The achievement of climate targets has a significant impact on energy sector modeling and decision-making processes. Various policy instruments have been developed to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, including administrative and market-based mechanisms for phasing out coal-fired generation technologies. This study compares five large-scale electricity market models and analyzes their differences in evaluating the effects of two coal phase-out strategies. The results provide insights for both modelers and decision-makers, highlighting the influence of reference scenarios and the importance of technical aspects in evaluating policy instruments.
Article
Environmental Studies
Matthew Hannon, Iain Cairns, Tim Braunholtz-Speight, Jeff Hardy, Carly McLachlan, Sarah Mander, Maria Sharmina
Summary: Community energy is a critical means of accelerating sustainable and equitable energy transition, but it is currently experiencing stagnation in many countries due to the dilution or removal of government support. Finding capital finance has become increasingly challenging for the community energy sector. Policy solutions are needed to unlock finance and catalyze sector growth.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Adam Mayer
Summary: The declining coal industry in the United States, due to the availability of cheap natural gas and the rise of renewables, poses challenges for workers and communities. Policies to support a just transition for coal workers, such as relocation or retraining assistance and pension protection, enjoy broad and bipartisan support, suggesting that policymakers can help facilitate a fair transition for coal dependent communities.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
William Hongsong Wang, Vicente Moreno-Casas, Jesus Huerta de Soto
Summary: Renewable energy is a popular public policy orientation worldwide, with Europe being early to recognize energy and environmental issues. Free-market environmentalism theory suggests that with less state intervention, entrepreneurs can provide better renewable energy services for environmental protection. Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have made progress in utilizing the market for renewable energy, but the study didn't analyze their conditions from a free-market environmentalism perspective.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paula Walk, Nora Stognief
Summary: In order to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, global net greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to zero by the middle of the century. The UK has taken a leading role by phasing out coal by 2024 and setting a net zero target for 2050. The decision to phase out coal was driven by policies and contextual factors that were not initially associated with the phase-out. The net zero decision was influenced by the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change, a general political mood for more climate protection, and the Conservative Party's ambition for climate protection. Continuities in UK climate policy can be seen in the importance of scientific expertise, social movements, cost arguments, and political consensus among relevant parties.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Economics
Silvana Tiedemann, Finn Mueller-Hansen
Summary: This study evaluates the use of auctions for compensation payments as a policy instrument to end coal-fired power generation and achieve climate targets. Germany's experience shows that the auctions can effectively retire coal-fired capacity at a relatively low cost and additional carbon price. The auctions can also be a model for other countries' phase-out strategies and help integrate conflicting policy objectives.
Article
Business, Finance
Tiago Mota Dutra, Jose Carlos Dias, Joao C. A. Teixeira
Summary: This study identifies share prices as the most accurate proxy for measuring financial cycles through comparing different financial variables. Share prices have a higher predictive capacity for financial and economic crises compared to GDP, which explains the increasing interest of macroprudential policymakers in financial cycles. The conclusions are robust to different time periods and alternative filtering procedures.
INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF ECONOMICS & FINANCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Julie Urquhart, Bianca Ambrose-Oji, Hannah Chiswell, Paul Courtney, Nick Lewis, John Powell, Matt Reed, Chris Williams
Summary: This paper assesses policy co-design through three case studies in the UK, focusing on tree/woodland management and fisheries. The challenges of co-design and recommendations for successful application are identified, highlighting the importance of stakeholder engagement in the early stages of policy development.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nora Stognief, Paula Walk, Oliver Schoettker, Pao-Yu Oei
Article
Energy & Fuels
Paula Walk, Isabell Braunger, Josephine Semb, Carolin Brodtmann, Pao-Yu Oei, Claudia Kemfert
Summary: The research shows that the phase-out of coal has both opportunities and burdens for women, with gender playing a significant role in agency within coal transitions. The study emphasizes the importance of gender-responsive policies in sustainability transitions and highlights the need for further research on the impact of such transitions on women's lives.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Francesca Diluiso, Paula Walk, Niccolo Manych, Nicola Cerutti, Vladislav Chipiga, Annabelle Workman, Ceren Ayas, Ryna Yiyun Cui, Diyang Cui, Kaihui Song, Lucy A. Banisch, Nikolaj Moretti, Max W. Callaghan, Leon Clarke, Felix Creutzig, Jerome Hilaire, Frank Jotzo, Matthias Kalkuhl, William F. Lamb, Andreas Loeschel, Finn Mueller-Hansen, Gregory F. Nemet, Pao-Yu Oei, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Jan C. Steckel, Sebastian Thomas, John Wiseman, Jan C. Minx
Summary: A rapid coal phase-out is crucial to meet the Paris Agreement goals, but faces challenges such as vested interests and social disruption risks. This paper provides a systematic review of historical coal transitions, highlighting the importance of targeting both demand and supply side transitions for successful coal phase-outs. Policymakers play a crucial role in facilitating coal transitions through regulatory instruments and investment plans.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Isabell Braunger, Paula Walk
Summary: This article discusses the need for major sustainability transition processes in the coming decades to meet international climate protection targets, which will result in profound economic and social changes. By using historical coal transitions in the UK and the USA as examples, the authors demonstrate how women are differently affected by the transition and how they engage in shaping the processes. Through analysis and data extraction, a gendered analytical layer is added to the existing Power in Transitions (POINT) framework, providing a tool for systematic analysis of gender issues in transition research. Furthermore, the empirical results lead to suggestions for gender-just transition policies.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paula Walk, Nora Stognief
Summary: In order to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, global net greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to zero by the middle of the century. The UK has taken a leading role by phasing out coal by 2024 and setting a net zero target for 2050. The decision to phase out coal was driven by policies and contextual factors that were not initially associated with the phase-out. The net zero decision was influenced by the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change, a general political mood for more climate protection, and the Conservative Party's ambition for climate protection. Continuities in UK climate policy can be seen in the importance of scientific expertise, social movements, cost arguments, and political consensus among relevant parties.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily Christley, Emrah Karakaya, Frauke Urban
Summary: This paper analyzes the transitions in the aviation industry in Sweden and examines the role of narratives as coordinating mechanisms in sustainability transitions. The study finds that industry actors construct narratives about alternative fuels and technologies to maintain the societal function of aviation while mitigating its climate impact. Narratives not only initiate transitions but also play a vital role in coordinating actors' transition activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2024)
