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Reducing energy demand through low carbon innovation: a sociotechnical transitions perspective and thirteen research debates

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posted on 2023-06-09, 09:05 authored by Frank Geels, Tim Schwanen, Steven SorrellSteven Sorrell, Kirsten Jenkins, Benjamin SovacoolBenjamin Sovacool
Improvements in energy efficiency and reductions in energy demand are expected to contribute more than half of the reduction in global carbon emissions over the next few decades. These unprecedented reductions require transformations in the systems that provide energy services. However, the dominant analytical perspectives, grounded in neoclassical economics and social psychology, focus upon marginal changes and provide only limited guidance on how such transformations may occur and how they can be shaped. We argue that a socio-technical transitions perspective is more suited to address the complexity of the challenges involved. This perspective understands energy services as being provided through large-scale, capital intensive and long-lived infrastructures that co-evolve with technologies, institutions, skills, knowledge and behaviours to create broader ‘sociotechnical systems’. To provide guidance for research in this area, this paper identifies and describes thirteen debates in socio-technical transitions research, organized under the headings of emergence, diffusion and impact, as well as more synthetic cross-cutting issues.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Energy Research & Social Science

ISSN

2214-6296

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

40

Page range

23-35

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-11-29

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-01-05

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-11-29

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