Narratives of Low- Carbon Transitions
This book examines the uncertainties underlying various strategies for a lowcarbon future. Most prominently, such strategies relate to transitions in the
energy sector, on both the supply and the demand side. At the same time they
interact with other sectors, such as industrial production, transport, and building, and ultimately require new behaviour patterns at household and individual
levels. Currently, much research is available on the effectiveness of these strategies but, in order to successfully implement comprehensive transition pathways, it is crucial not only to understand the benefits but also the risks.
Filling this gap, this volume provides an interdisciplinary, conceptual framework
to assess risks and uncertainties associated with low- carbon policies and applies this
consistently across 11 country cases from around the world, illustrating alternative
transition pathways in various contexts. The cases are presented as narratives,
drawing on stakeholder- driven research efforts. They showcase diverse empirical
evidence reflecting the complex challenges to and potential negative consequences
of such pathways. Together, they enable the reader to draw valuable lessons on the
risks and uncertainties associated with choosing the envisaged transition pathways,
as well as ways to manage the implementation of these pathways and ultimately
enable sustainable and lasting social and environmental effects.
This book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and practitioners of
environmental and energy policy, low- carbon transitions, renewable energy
technologies, climate change action, and sustainability in general.
Susanne Hanger- Kopp is a researcher at the Institute for Environmental Decisions at ETH Zürich, Switzerland, and at the Risk and Resilience Program of
the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria.
Jenny Lieu is a research fellow at the University of Sussex, UK, and guest
researcher at the Transdisciplinary Lap of the Department of Environmental
Systems Science at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
Alexandros Nikas is a researcher at the Management & Decision Support
Systems Laboratory of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
National Technical University of Athens, Greece.
This book examines the uncertainties underlying various strategies for a lowcarbon future. Most prominently, such strategies relate to transitions in the
energy sector, on both the supply and the demand side. At the same time they
interact with other sectors, such as industrial production, transport, and building, and ultimately require new behaviour patterns at household and individual
levels. Currently, much research is available on the effectiveness of these strategies but, in order to successfully implement comprehensive transition pathways, it is crucial not only to understand the benefits but also the risks.
Filling this gap, this volume provides an interdisciplinary, conceptual framework
to assess risks and uncertainties associated with low- carbon policies and applies this
consistently across 11 country cases from around the world, illustrating alternative
transition pathways in various contexts. The cases are presented as narratives,
drawing on stakeholder- driven research efforts. They showcase diverse empirical
evidence reflecting the complex challenges to and potential negative consequences
of such pathways. Together, they enable the reader to draw valuable lessons on the
risks and uncertainties associated with choosing the envisaged transition pathways,
as well as ways to manage the implementation of these pathways and ultimately
enable sustainable and lasting social and environmental effects.
This book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and practitioners of
environmental and energy policy, low- carbon transitions, renewable energy
technologies, climate change action, and sustainability in general.
Susanne Hanger- Kopp is a researcher at the Institute for Environmental Decisions at ETH Zürich, Switzerland, and at the Risk and Resilience Program of
the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria.
Jenny Lieu is a research fellow at the University of Sussex, UK, and guest
researcher at the Transdisciplinary Lap of the Department of Environmental
Systems Science at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
Alexandros Nikas is a researcher at the Management & Decision Support
Systems Laboratory of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
National Technical University of Athens, Greece.