A comparison of energy transition governance in Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom

Sustainability (Switzerland)

Volumn 6, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 1129-1152

  Laes, Erik ^a   Gorissen, Leen ^a   Nevens, Frank ^a  

^a FLEMISH INSTITUTE FOR TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH VITO   (Belgium)

Author keywords

Climate policy; Energy transition; Transition governance

Indexed keywords

COMPARATIVE STUDY; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GOVERNANCE APPROACH; INNOVATION; POLICY MAKING; TRANSITION ZONE;

GERMANY; NETHERLANDS; UNITED KINGDOM;

EID: 84897076614     PISSN: 20711050     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3390/su6031129     Document Type: Article

References (70)

1. Voß, J.-P., Bauknecht, D., Kemp, R., Eds. Reflexive Governance for Sustainable Development; Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, UK, 2006.
2. Doern, B.; Gattinger, M. Power Switch: Energy Regulatory Governance in the Twenty-First Century; University of Toronto Press: Toronto, ON, Canada, 2004.
3. European Commission (EC). A Roadmap for Moving to a Competitive Low Carbon Economy in 2050; European Commission: Brussels, Belgium, 2011.
4. Unruh, G. Understanding carbon lock-in. Energy Policy 2000, 28, 817-830.
5. Van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.; Truffer, B.; Kallis, G. Environmental innovation and societal transitions: Introduction and overview. Environ. Innov. Soc. Transit. 2011, 1, 1-23.
6. Loorbach, D. Transition management for sustainable development: A prescriptive, complexity-based governance framework. Governance 2010, 23, 161-183.
7. Grin, J.; Rotmans, J.; Schot, J. Transitions towards Sustainable Development; Routledge Studies in Sustainability Transitions; Routledge: London, UK, 2010; Volume 1.
8. Voß, J.-P.; Bornemann, B. The politics of reflexive governance: Challenges for designing adaptive management and transition management. Ecol. Soc. 2011, 16, Article 9. Available online: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss2/art9/main.html (accessed on 6 January 2014).
9. Avelino, F.; Rotmans, J. Power in transition: An interdisciplinary framework to study power in relation to structural change. Eur. J. Soc. Theory 2009, 12, 543-569.
10. Meadowcroft, J. Environmental political economy, technological transitions and the state. New Pol. Econ. 2005, 10, 479-498.
11. Meadowcroft, J. What about the politics? Sustainable development, transition management, and long term energy transitions. Policy Sci. 2009, 42, 323-340.
12. Meadowcroft, J. Engaging with the politics of sustainability transitions. Environ. Innov. Soc. Transit. 2011, 1, 70-75.
13. Notenboom, J.; Boot, P.; Koelemeijer, R.; Ros, J. Climate and Energy Roadmaps towards 2050 in north-western Europe. Available online: http://www.pbl.nl/sites/default/files/cms/publicaties/PBL_2012_Climate-and-Energy-Roadmaps_500269001_0.pdf (accessed on 6 January 2014).
14. Knopf, B.; Bakken, B.; Carrara, S.; Kanudia, A.; Keppo, I.; Koljonen, T.; Mima, S.; Schmid, E.; van Vuuren, D. Transforming the European energy system: Member states' prospects within the EU framework. Clim. Change Econ. 2013, 4, 1-26. Available online: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/pdf/10.1142/S2010007813400058 (accessed on 6 January 2014).
15. World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). Our Common Future; Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK, 1987.
16. Solomon, B.; Krishna, K. The coming sustainable energy transition: History, strategies and outlook. Energy Policy 2011, 39, 7422-7431.
17. Fouquet, R. The slow search for solutions: Lessons from historical energy transitions by sector and service. Energy Policy 2011, 38, 6586-6596.
18. Loorbach, D. Transition Management: New Mode of Governance for Sustainable Development; International Books: Utrecht, the Netherlands, 2007.
19. Bell, S.; Morse, S. Sustainability Indicators-Measuring the Immeasurable; Earthscan: London, UK, 2008.
20. Hugé, J.; Waas, T.; Eggermont, G.; Verbruggen, A. Impact assessment for a sustainable energy future-reflections and practical experiences. Energy Policy 2011, 39, 6243-6253.
21. Dale, A. At the Edge; University of British Columbia Press: Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2001.
22. Scrase, I.; Smith, A. The (non-)politics of managing low carbon socio-technical transitions. Environ. Polit. 2009, 18, 707-726.
23. Enquete Commission of the German Bundestag. Protecting the Earth's Atmosphere: An International Challenge; Deutscher Bundestag Referat öffentlichkeitsarbeit: Berlin, Germany, 1989.
24. Weidner, H.; Mez, L. German climate change policy-a success story with some flaws. J. Environ. Dev. 2008, 17, 356-378.
25. BMWi. Zahlen und Fakten-Energiedaten-Nationale und Internationale Entwicklung. Available Online: http://www.bmwi.de/DE/Themen/Energie/Energiedaten-und-analysen/Energiedaten/gesamtausgabe,did=476134.html (accessed on 6 January 2014). (In German)
26. Jacobsson, S.; Lauber, V. The politics and policy of energy system transformation-explaining the German diffusion of renewable energy technology. Energy Policy 2006, 34, 256-276.
27. Gesetz für den Vorrang Erneuerbarer Energien. Available online: http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bundesrecht/eeg/gesamt.pdf (accessed on 6 January 2014). (In German)
28. Verbruggen, A.; Lauber, V. Basic concepts for designing renewable electricity support aiming at a full-scale transition by 2050. Energy Policy 2009, 37, 5732-5743.
29. Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi); Federal Ministry for the Environment; Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). Energy Concept for an Environmentally Sound, Reliable and Affordable Energy Supply; BMWi/BMU: Berlin, Germany, 2011.
30. Ethikkommission. Germany's Energy Transition-a Collective Project for the Future; the Ethics Commission for a Safe Energy Supply: Berlin, Germany, 2011.
31. Vivid Economics. G20 low carbon competitiveness. Report prepared for the Climate Institute and E3G. Available Online: http://www.e3g.org/docs/G20_Low_Carbon_Competitiveness_Report.pdf (accessed on 6 January 2014).
32. Bosman, R. Germany's "Energiewende": Redefining the Rules of the Energy Game; Clingendael International Energy Programme: The Hague, The Netherlands, 2012.
33. 100% Erneuerbare-Energie-Regionen-Projekt. Available online: http://www.100-ee.de (accessed on 6 January 2014).
34. Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). Entwurf Erfahrungsbericht 2011 zum Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz. Available online: http://www.erneuerbare-energien.de/fileadmin/ee-import/files/pdfs/allgemein/application/pdf/eeg_ erfahrungsbericht_2011_entwurf.pdf (accessed on 6 January 2014).
35. Kemp, R. The Dutch energy transition approach. Int. Econ. Econ. Policy 2010, 7, 291-316.
36. Kern, F.; Smith, A. Restructuring energy systems for sustainability? Energy transition policy in the Netherlands. Energy Policy 2008, 36, 4093-4103.
37. Smith, A.; Kern, F. The transitions storyline in Dutch environmental policy. Environ. Polit. 2009, 18, 78-98.
38. Kemp, R.; Rotmans, J. Transitioning policy: Co-production of a new strategic framework for energy innovation in the Netherlands. Policy Sci. 2009, 42, 303-322.
39. Ministerie voor Economische Zaken. Nu voor later: Energie Rapport 2005; Ministerie voor Economische Zaken: The Hague, The Netherlands, 2005. (In Dutch)
40. According to Kemp and Rotmans ([38], pp. 316-319], top officials from VROM and EZ made it very clear at this stage that the involvement of scientists in the policy implementation of transition management was no longer wanted. This reflects a clear desire to make selective use of transition concepts and to be in command of the whole process. For the EZ officials, a primary condition was also that the Dutch energy business community would be very visibly involved in the process.
41. Hendriks, C. The democratic soup: Mixed meanings of political representation in governance networks. Governance 2009, 22, 689-715.
42. Kemp, R.; Rotmans, J.; Loorbach, D. Assessing the Dutch energy transition policy: how does it deal with dilemmas of managing transitions. J. Environ. Policy Plann. 2007, 9, 315-331.
43. Van Soest, J.-P. Clogs in the works. Available online: http://www.greenchallenge.info/MediaDetails/ClogsInTheWorks.htm (accessed on 6 January 2014).
44. Hekkert, M.; Suurs, R.; Negro, S.; Kuhlmann, S.; Smits, R. Functions of innovation systems: A new approach for analysing technological change. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change 2007, 74, 413-432.
45. International success is evident from the establishment of a "Sustainability Transitions Research Network", as well as the international journal "Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions" which is specifically dedicated to transition research.
46. Kern, F.; Howlett, M. Implementing transition management as policy reforms: A case study of the Dutch energy sector. Policy Sci. 2009, 42, 391-408.
47. Hajer, M. De energieke samenleving. Op zoek naar een sturingsfilosofie voor een schone economie; Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving: Den Haag, the Netherlands, 2011. (In Dutch)
48. This focus does not imply that we believe this Act to be the sole "necessary and sufficient condition" for driving the transition to a low-carbon economy in the UK. Other (bottom-up) initiatives acting outside the scope of formal government support are certainly also worth mentioning. Especially worth mentioning here is the Transition Town Movement (which originated in the UK), a community-led process that helps a town/village/city/neighbourhood to become stronger, happier and more resilient. These communities have started up projects in areas of food, transport, energy, education, housing, waste, arts, etc., as small-scale local responses to the global challenges of climate change, economic hardship and shrinking supplies of cheap energy.
49. ClientEarth. The UK Climate Change Act 2008-Lessons for Other National Climate Laws; ClientEarth: London, UK, 2009. Available online: http://www.clientearth.org/reports/climate-and-energy-lessons-from-the-climate-change-act.pdf (accessed on 6 January 2014).
50. Stern, N. The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 2006.
51. Foxon, T. Governing a Low Carbon Energy Transition: Lessons from UK and Dutch Approaches. In Handbook of Sustainable Energy; Galarraga, I., González-Eguino, M., Markandya, A., Eds.; Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, UK, 2011; pp. 84-98.
52. Brunner, S.; Flachsland, C.; Marschinski, R. Credible commitment in carbon policy. Clim. Policy 2012, 12, 255-271.
53. McGregor, P.; Swales, J.; Winning, M. A review of the role and remit of the committee on climate change. Energy Policy 2012, 41, 466-473.
54. Pielke, R. The British Climate Change Act: A critical evaluation and proposed alternative approach. Environ. Res. Lett. 2009, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/4/2/024010.
55. Mitchell, C. Preferable Intervention-the Pursuit of Nuclear Power. In The Political Economy of Sustainable Energy; Mitchell, C., Ed.; Palgrave MacMillan: New York, NY, USA, 2008; pp. 96-120.
56. UK DECC. Energy calculator. Available online: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/2050/calculator_on/calculator_on.aspx (accessed on 6 January 2014).
57. There is however a rather small DECC programme aimed a empowering local communities to reduce their energy consumption and make deep cuts in GHG emissions (for more information, see [70]).
58. Verbruggen, A. Renewable and nuclear power: A common future? Energy Policy 2008, 36, 4036-4047.
59. Foxon, T.; Hammond, G.; Pearson, P. Developing transition pathways for a low carbon electricity system in the UK. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change 2010, 77, 1203-1213.
60. Laes, E.; Verbruggen, A. Decision Support for National Sustainable Energy Strategies in an Integrated Assessment Framework. In Paths to Sustainable Energy; Ng, A., Ed.; Intech: Rijeka, Croatia, 2011; pp. 93-116. Available online: http://www.intechopen.com/books/howtoreference/paths-to-sustainable-energy/decision-support-for-national-sustainable-energy-strategies-in-an-integrated-assessment-framework (accessed on 6 January 2014).
61. Covenant of Mayors. Available online: http://www.covenantofmayors.eu/index_en.html (accessed on 6 January 2014).
62. Ieromonachou, P.; Potter, S.; Enoch, M. Adapting strategic niche management for evaluating radical transport policies-the case of the Durham road access charging scheme. Int. J. Transport Manag. 2004, 2, 75-87.
63. Hegger, D.; van Vliet, J.; van Vliet, B. Niche management and its contribution to regime change: The case of innovation in sanitation. Technol. Anal. Strateg. Manag. 2007, 19, 729-746.
64. Renn, O. A model for an analytic-deliberative process in risk management. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1999, 33, 3049-3055.
65. Wüstenhagen, R.; Wolsink, M.; Bürer, M.J. Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept. Energy Policy 2007, 35, 2683-2691.
66. Schmid, E.; Knopf, B. Ambitious Mitigation Scenarios for Germany: A participatory approach. Energy Policy 2012, 51, 662-672.
67. Hargreaves, T.; Haxeltine, A.; Longhurst, N.; Seyfang, G. Sustainability Transitions from the Bottom-up: Civil Society, the Multi-Level Perspective and Practice Theory; CSERGE Working Paper 2011-01; The Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE): Norwich, UK, 2011.
68. Smith, A. Civil Society in Sustainable Energy Transitions. In Governing the Energy Transition: Reality, Illusion or Necessity? Verbong, G., Loorbach, D., Eds.; Routledge: London, UK.
69. Chandler, H. Harnessing Variable Renewables; International Energy Agency: Paris, France, 2011.
70. UK DECC. Low Carbon Communities Challenge. Available online: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/saving_energy/community/lc_communities/lc_communities.aspx (accessed on 6 January 2014).