University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) not publicly available

The politics of low carbon transitions – protected niches, actor networks, narratives and changing contexts

presentation
posted on 2023-06-08, 20:25 authored by Florian Kern, Adrian SmithAdrian Smith, Rob Raven, Bram Verhees
Understanding how to move towards more sustainable societies is a key challenge for analysts, civil society organisations and policy makers alike. The literature on sustainability transitions indicates an important role for niche activities which have the potential to overturn or green incumbent socio-technical regimes. In the context of climate change, many advocates and policy makers put a lot of hope in renewable energy technologies like solar photovoltaics and offshore wind. These technologies are not (yet) competitive under ‘normal’ selection environments and therefore require ‘protective space’ to improve their performance,reduce costs, enable the growth of supportive actor networks, etc. Which niches receive this kind of protection, why and through which processes, is an interesting field of study for scholars interested in the politics of low carbon transitions. The paper argues that these processes can be usefully analysed by looking at actor networks, the discourses they mobilise and the way in which they strategically engage with changing energy and climate policy contexts. The paper reflects on empirical work on PV and offshore wind niche developments in the UK and the Netherlands and thereby makes a contribution to the emerging literature on the governance of low carbon transitions.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Page range

1-24

Presentation Type

  • paper

Event name

IGov Workshop: Theorising Governance Change for a Sustainable Economy

Event location

London

Event type

workshop

Event date

April 30, 2013

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2015-03-25

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC