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Sociotechnical transitions for deep decarbonization

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posted on 2023-06-09, 08:09 authored by Frank W Geels, Benjamin SovacoolBenjamin Sovacool, Tim Schwanen, Steven SorrellSteven Sorrell
Rapid and deep reductions in greenhouse gas emission are needed to avoid dangerous climate change. This will necessitate low-carbon transitions across electricity, transport, heat, industrial, forestry, and agricultural systems. But despite recent rapid growth in renewable electricity generation, the rate of progress toward this wider goal of deep decarbonization remains slow. Moreover, many policy-oriented energy and climate researchers and models remain wedded to disciplinary approaches that focus on a single piece of the low-carbon transition puzzle, yet avoid many crucial real-world elements for accelerated transitions (1). We present a “sociotechnical” framework to address the multidimensionality of the deep decarbonization challenge and show how coevolutionary interactions between technologies and societal groups can accelerate low-carbon transitions.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Science

ISSN

1095-9203

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Issue

6357

Volume

357

Page range

1242-1244

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-10-03

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2017-10-03

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-10-03

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