Restructuring energy systems for sustainability? Energy transition policy in the Netherlands (original) (raw)
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Governance in the energy transition: Practice of transition management in the Netherlands
International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2008
A fundamental transformation of our current energy system in the future is inevitable. To this end, this paper presents a 'fresh' perspective on the Dutch energy field based on transition theory. From this perspective, a number of starting points are suggested for energy transition management in order to influence the speed and direction of the energy transition. In the second part of this paper, these principles are used to reflect upon the way the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs is currently applying transition management. As such, this paper itself is part of the ongoing co-production of knowledge between science and policy, that emerged over the past few years in the Netherlands with regard to transition management.
Energy Policy, 2007
Energy transitions to sustainability receive much interest in politics and science. Using a socio-technical and multi-level theory on transitions, this article draws important lessons from a long-term analysis of the Dutch electricity system. The article analyses technical developments, changes in rules and visions, and social networks that support and oppose renewable options. The article is multi-level because it looks at novel renewable energy technologies and structural trends in the existing electricity regime. The analysis shows that an energy transition, with roots in the 1960s and 1970s, is already occurring, but driven mainly by liberalisation and Europeanisation. Environmental aspects have become part of this ongoing transition, but do not form its main driver. Many barriers exist for a sustainability transition, but there are also some opportunities. A long-term analysis of renewable niche-innovation trajectories (wind, biomass, PV) provides lessons about socio-technical dynamics, problems and windows of opportunity.
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This article describes policy-science interactions in a transition process in which we were involved as scientists. We describe the interactions that occurred in a project for the fourth National Environmental Policy Plan in the Netherlands. The project was successful in that it produced a new concept and set of principles for policy to deal with persistent problems such as global climate change, which were used in the national policy plan. The new concept was that of transition and the principles were: policy integration, long-term thinking for short-term action, keeping multiple options open and learning-by-doing and doing-by-learning. Retrospectively, we ask ourselves: what factors facilitated the acceptance of the first ideas about transition management? Reconstructing the events and drawing on interviews with key individuals involved, we have tried to find the key factors for the adoption of the ideas developed in the project. Finally, we reflect upon our role as scientists-advisors and the role of others in the development of a new story line and set of principles for policy. Our own assessment, 8 years later, is that we were engaged in boundary work.
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System transitions are complex societal co-evolutionary processes that are typically led by gradual adapta tion rather than visionary m anagement or coordination. Still, visionary coordination of policies, regul ation, corporate strateg ies and social learning may overcome some barriers and foster new innovati on efforts providing sufficient impetus towards system transition. This paper addresses 'system transition' as a valuable perspective and develops a framework for analysing Nordic energy system research and governance. T he framework integrates different transitions phases, levels and dim ensions and combines them with the governance functions to provide overarching fram es for understanding system transitions. The framework for transition research and governan ce is applied in the analysis of the energy governance cases and discussed in vi ew of energy system transitions. This paper is based on an extens ive literature review and empirica lly based-theory building.
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Transitions management identifies broad national efforts that attempt to govern socio-technical change along more environmentally sustainable pathways. Although the complexity of such endeavours is generally acknowledged, it is not yet clear how governance practices work at an international level. This paper utilises the transitions management concept to compare three countries in their attempts to increase the adoption and use of renewable energy technologies. It notes that analysis at a micro-level needs to focus on the actions and requirements of particular user groups for a deeper elucidation of transition management processes. Furthermore, the complexity of socio-technical change processes implies that transitions management is a more useful concept when focused at the micro-level of change rather than at the macro-level of strategy formulation over the longer term.