258 Jenny Lieu et al.
with Indigenous communities prior to developing in the oil sands project has
led to project delays and could even halt projects altogether.
Challenges in end- user behaviour: change in the uptake of
technologies
In the narratives described, we have seen that behavioural changes often present
a major barrier in pathways that require changes at the household or end- user
level. End- user stakeholders often consider the immediate benefit or disadvantage
of adopting a particular behaviour (energy efficiency) or technology (solar power,
efficient cookstove technology). For instance, a government- funded programme
fully paid for biogas installations in Bali, Indonesia, but the technology was not
successful due to breakages and a lack of operational support. Moreover, ensuring
enough feedstock to generate a sufficient quantity of biogas led to a lower sense of
ownership on the farmers’ side. Mobilising efforts at the farmer level is
challenging; upscaling biogas digesters as a means for village- wide generation was
not seen as realistic by some, but there may be more potential for large- scale
biogas applications for electricity. End- user behaviour has an important impact on
applied technologies, which is evident in efforts to promote efficient cookstoves
in Kenya. Efficient cookstoves are part of a wider initiative to support more
sustainable charcoal production together with efficient retort- kilns, standards, and
certification. Improved efficiencies in cookstoves, however, may inadvertently
lead to rebound effects, including more intensive use of cookstoves when
compared to previous usage patterns.
Other impacts of end- user behaviour are seen in the case of energy efficiency
retrofits in buildings across different climatic zones in China. Energy- efficient
measures in the northern regions promote improved heating management, which
involves indoor temperature control and net- metering installations. While the
scheme was successful in the colder and drier northern regions, energy efficiency
programmes have had limited impact in cities with different climates. In the
southern regions, such as Shanghai, the climate is more humid and residents keep
their windows open throughout the year to manage indoor comfort. Retrofits carried
out to improve thermal insulation in Shanghai were offset by residents opening
windows and negating the impact of the building’s improved thermal performance.
Impacts of low- carbon technologies on social justice
Technologies and policies intended to reduce emissions may unintentionally
have a negative impact on social justice, including gender equality. In Chile and
Greece there were several examples where policies and technologies led to
financial burdens that primarily fell on the economically disadvantaged. In
Chile, energy poverty has been identified as a consequential risk for households
as a result of the carbon tax implemented to support renewable energy
generation. Energy poverty reduces the ability of households to maintain
comfortable indoor temperatures. It can have negative impacts on health,
with Indigenous communities prior to developing in the oil sands project has
led to project delays and could even halt projects altogether.
Challenges in end- user behaviour: change in the uptake of
technologies
In the narratives described, we have seen that behavioural changes often present
a major barrier in pathways that require changes at the household or end- user
level. End- user stakeholders often consider the immediate benefit or disadvantage
of adopting a particular behaviour (energy efficiency) or technology (solar power,
efficient cookstove technology). For instance, a government- funded programme
fully paid for biogas installations in Bali, Indonesia, but the technology was not
successful due to breakages and a lack of operational support. Moreover, ensuring
enough feedstock to generate a sufficient quantity of biogas led to a lower sense of
ownership on the farmers’ side. Mobilising efforts at the farmer level is
challenging; upscaling biogas digesters as a means for village- wide generation was
not seen as realistic by some, but there may be more potential for large- scale
biogas applications for electricity. End- user behaviour has an important impact on
applied technologies, which is evident in efforts to promote efficient cookstoves
in Kenya. Efficient cookstoves are part of a wider initiative to support more
sustainable charcoal production together with efficient retort- kilns, standards, and
certification. Improved efficiencies in cookstoves, however, may inadvertently
lead to rebound effects, including more intensive use of cookstoves when
compared to previous usage patterns.
Other impacts of end- user behaviour are seen in the case of energy efficiency
retrofits in buildings across different climatic zones in China. Energy- efficient
measures in the northern regions promote improved heating management, which
involves indoor temperature control and net- metering installations. While the
scheme was successful in the colder and drier northern regions, energy efficiency
programmes have had limited impact in cities with different climates. In the
southern regions, such as Shanghai, the climate is more humid and residents keep
their windows open throughout the year to manage indoor comfort. Retrofits carried
out to improve thermal insulation in Shanghai were offset by residents opening
windows and negating the impact of the building’s improved thermal performance.
Impacts of low- carbon technologies on social justice
Technologies and policies intended to reduce emissions may unintentionally
have a negative impact on social justice, including gender equality. In Chile and
Greece there were several examples where policies and technologies led to
financial burdens that primarily fell on the economically disadvantaged. In
Chile, energy poverty has been identified as a consequential risk for households
as a result of the carbon tax implemented to support renewable energy
generation. Energy poverty reduces the ability of households to maintain
comfortable indoor temperatures. It can have negative impacts on health,