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Acceptance of Brazilian ethanol fuel and the role of expertise

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 17:49 authored by Markku Lehtonen
Improving the public understanding and acceptance of biofuels – those characterised as “advanced” or “next generation” in particular – is generally considered a key challenge of biofuel politics. A worthy objective as such, fostering consensus and enhancing public acceptance and acceptability is highly problematic as the sole objective for the production of expertise in biofuel policy. This paper examines the role of Brazilian experts in the production and use of evidence in the international and national biofuel controversies in 2007–2013. In particular, the article examines the interaction between experts and other stakeholders in the processes whereby the various participants in the debate use diverse forms of expertise in order to legitimise and delegitimise the country’s sugarcane ethanol fuel policy, and thereby to influence the acceptance of Brazilian ethanol fuel. The paper concludes by examining the behaviour of these experts from four perspectives on the role of expertise in policymaking, and argues in favour of greater attention to public conflict and controversy as not only unavoidable, but indeed as essential elements in democratic decision-making and construction of robust evidence for biofuel policy decisions.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Biofuels

ISSN

1759-7269

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Issue

3

Volume

5

Page range

261-274

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2014-07-14

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    University of Sussex (Publications)

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