“If we are to close the gap between words and deeds on decarbonisation, emission
reductions need to go much faster and further than at present. Enabling Sustainable
Energy Transitions steps directly into this gap, arguing that inadequate action relative to the scale of the problem constitutes a crisis of accountability. This crisis is
sustained, the authors propose, by four ‘practices of legitimation’ through which
states, firms and other key actors are effectively insulated from the political and
economic consequences of inaction. In tune with the recent pivot in energy
research from innovation to incumbency, and the post-Paris challenge of rapidly
dismantling fossil energy regimes, this compact book argues that ideas about
accountability and legitimation—drawn from work on environmental governance—can open up new analytical perspectives on what is holding back effective
energy system transformation. With bite-size chapters and illustrative cases that
draw on the work of five expert witnesses, this is a novel intervention into debates
over the politics of energy transition.”
—Gavin Bridge, Professor, Department of Geography, Durham University
“In this comprehensive and much-needed book, Dr. Siddharth Sareen with colleagues provides a compelling analysis of the sustainable energy transition and the
role of legitimation practices and accountability therein. The book theorizes and
advances the research frontier on legitimation practices and accountability with a
carefully crafted analysis bridging scholarly fields of environmental governance,
political economy, energy research and democratic theory. Enabling Sustainable
Energy Transition presents a novel empirical analysis of the politics of energy transition across the world through rich case studies of countries such as Portugal,
Germany, Norway, USA as well as cities such as Berlin. This book is a must-read
for all students and scholars interested in shaping more legitimate, democratic and
accountable energy transition from the local to global context.”
—Karin Bäckstrand, Professor, Department of Political Science,
Stockholm University
Enabling Sustainable Energy Transitions
reductions need to go much faster and further than at present. Enabling Sustainable
Energy Transitions steps directly into this gap, arguing that inadequate action relative to the scale of the problem constitutes a crisis of accountability. This crisis is
sustained, the authors propose, by four ‘practices of legitimation’ through which
states, firms and other key actors are effectively insulated from the political and
economic consequences of inaction. In tune with the recent pivot in energy
research from innovation to incumbency, and the post-Paris challenge of rapidly
dismantling fossil energy regimes, this compact book argues that ideas about
accountability and legitimation—drawn from work on environmental governance—can open up new analytical perspectives on what is holding back effective
energy system transformation. With bite-size chapters and illustrative cases that
draw on the work of five expert witnesses, this is a novel intervention into debates
over the politics of energy transition.”
—Gavin Bridge, Professor, Department of Geography, Durham University
“In this comprehensive and much-needed book, Dr. Siddharth Sareen with colleagues provides a compelling analysis of the sustainable energy transition and the
role of legitimation practices and accountability therein. The book theorizes and
advances the research frontier on legitimation practices and accountability with a
carefully crafted analysis bridging scholarly fields of environmental governance,
political economy, energy research and democratic theory. Enabling Sustainable
Energy Transition presents a novel empirical analysis of the politics of energy transition across the world through rich case studies of countries such as Portugal,
Germany, Norway, USA as well as cities such as Berlin. This book is a must-read
for all students and scholars interested in shaping more legitimate, democratic and
accountable energy transition from the local to global context.”
—Karin Bäckstrand, Professor, Department of Political Science,
Stockholm University
Enabling Sustainable Energy Transitions