Prioritizing mitigation efforts considering co-benefits, equity and energy justice: Fossil fuel to renewable energy transition pathways

The global energy system subsumes both extreme wealth (and waste) and extreme poverty. A minority of the global population is consuming the majority of the fossil fuel-based energy and causing global warming. While the mature industrialized economies maintain their high levels of energy consumption, the emerging economies are rapidly expanding their fossil energy systems, emulating traditional patterns of industrialization. We take a global, socio-metabolic perspective on the energy transition phases—take-off, maturation, and completion—of 142 countries between 1971 and 2015. Even within our global fossil energy system, the transition to fossil energy is still ongoing; many countries are in the process of replacing renewable energy with fossil energy. However, due to globally limited supplies and sinks, continuing the fossil energy transition is not an indefinite option. Rather than a “Big Push” for renewable energy within pockets of the fossil energy system, a sustainability transformation is required that would change far more than patterns of energy supply and use. Where this far-reaching change requires pushing back against the fossil energy system, the energy underdogs—the latecomers to the fossil energy transition—just might come out on top.

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Federalism as a Double-Edged Sword: The Slow Energy Transition in the United States

The Journal of Environment & Development ◽

10.1177/1070496519886001 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 26-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Roger Karapin

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Policy ◽

Republican Party ◽

Fossil Fuel ◽

State Level ◽

Energy Transition ◽

The United States ◽

Veto Power ◽

Renewable Energy Policy

Much literature on federalism and multilevel governance argues that federalist institutional arrangements promote renewable energy policies. However, the U.S. case supports a different view that federalism has ambivalent effects. Policy innovation has occurred at the state level and to some extent has led to policy adoption by other states and the federal government, but the extent is limited by the veto power of fossil fuel interests that are rooted in many state governments and in Congress, buttressed by increasing Republican Party hostility to environmental and climate policy. This argument is supported by a detailed analysis of five periods of federal and state renewable energy policy-making, from the Carter to the Trump administrations. The negative effects of federalism on national renewable energy policy in the United States, in contrast to the West European cases in this special issue, are mainly due to the interaction of its federalist institutions with party polarization and a strong domestic fossil fuel industry.

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The Time-Series of Energy Mix and Transition: A Comparative Study of OECD Countries through the Fuzzy-Set Analysis

Energies ◽

10.3390/en11112992 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 2992

Author(s):

Taewook Huh ◽

Yong-Chan Choi ◽

Jiyoung Kim

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Fuzzy Set ◽

Fossil Fuel ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Oecd Countries ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Gradual Change ◽

Ideal Types ◽

Energy Mix ◽

Measurement Framework

This study aims to analyze the global trends of energy mix and energy transition from a chronological view (from Y1995 to Y2015) and identify the actual results based on the empirical findings. It sets up a measurement framework of energy mix (four energy sources: fossil fuel (F), hydroelectric (H), renewable (R), and nuclear (N)), and compares thirty-four Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries’ cases through the fuzzy-set ideal type analysis. In short, twelve ideal types of energy mix of the thirty-four OECD countries were derived in Y1995; eleven ideal types in Y2000, thirteen ideal types in Y2005, twelve ideal types in Y2010, and fifteen ideal types in Y2015, respectively. This study particularly reveals the gradual change of the features of energy transition, although an epoch-making trend of overall energy transition in OECD countries is not identified. For example, from1995 to 2010, in the case of Type 7 (F*h*r*N) with a characteristic of ‘pan-conventional energy-centered mix’ having two high features (F, N), and of Type 8 (F*h*r*n), characterized by ‘fossil fuel-centered energy mix’ with one high feature (F), seven to eight countries were steadily included, but in 2015 there was a significant decrease to four countries (solely Type 7). Throughout the five stages from 1995 to 2015, the type with the largest number of countries (20) was Type 10 (f*H*R*n, ‘pan-renewable energy-centered type’) led by hydroelectric (H) and renewable energy sources (R), followed by the second most, Type 12, (f*H*r*N, ‘hydro & nuclear-centered type’, characterized the high features of H and N) with nineteen countries.

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Empowering Vulnerable Consumers to Join Renewable Energy Communities—Towards an Inclusive Design of the Clean Energy Package

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13071615 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 1615 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Florian Hanke ◽

Jens Lowitzsch

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Consumer Empowerment ◽

Specific Design ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Unequal Distribution ◽

Vulnerable Consumers ◽

Energy Justice ◽

Energy Package

The unequal distribution of costs and benefits of the energy transition is a challenge for energy justice and energy policy. Although the empowerment of consumers to participate in renewable energy communities (RECs) has great potential for a just energy transition, vulnerable consumers remain underrepresented in RE projects. The recast of the European renewable energy directive obliges the European Member States to facilitate the participation of vulnerable consumers and support their inclusion in its “enabling framework” for prosumership. However, the type and specific design of corresponding measures remains unclear. Against this background this article investigates consumer empowerment in a vulnerability context. In particular we stress the need to understand how vulnerability affects participation in RECs to inform both policy makers and practitioners on its specificities and restrictions for the “enabling framework”. To prevent the inclusion of vulnerable consumers in RECs from remaining an idea on paper lawmakers need to be made aware of the implications for a consistent “enabling framework”. We argue that both individual vulnerable consumers as well as RECs need incentives and support to boost RECs’ capacity to include groups that until now remain underrepresented.

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Energy Transition and Sustainable Road Transportation in Turkey: Multiple Policy Challenges for Inclusive Change

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities ◽

10.3389/frsc.2021.631337 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Gülfem Cevheribucak

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Fossil Fuel ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Road Transport ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Road Transportation ◽

Gas Emissions

This paper aims to explore energy insecurity in Turkey at the intersection of environmental sustainability, human security and justice vis-à-vis growing energy demand coupled with greenhouse gas emissions coming from the transport sector. High dependence on fossil fuel imports creates bottlenecks for the economy and require urgent shift to renewable energy sources. Prospects for renewable energy transition are analyzed based on focusing on total final energy consumption by energy and transport sector as well as greenhouse gas emissions. In order to propose holistic clarifications to the triangular problem of high fossil fuel dependence, energy demand increase and greenhouse gas mitigation, sustainable energy transition in road transport is put forward. It is justified based on the share of greenhouse gas emissions originating from road transport sector and high taxation levels that create extra burden on private consumers. Energy transition is conceptualized with the theoretical offerings of sustainability transition literature that point out to socio-technical processes, hence the societal, technological as well as external structural contexts of change. Upon this background, this policy and practice review outlines the current policy instruments in order to highlight the mismatch between policy and practices for just energy transition in conjunction with sustainable mobility in Turkey.

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How COVID-19 is Accelerating Energy Transition in Developing Oil-Rich Countries: Nigeria as a Case Study

Global Energy Law and Sustainability ◽

10.3366/gels.2020.0034 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 234-240

Author(s):

Chibueze Ekeh

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Business Models ◽

Fossil Fuel ◽

Oil Prices ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Energy Poverty ◽

Fossil Fuel Consumption ◽

Rich Countries ◽

The Impact

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of challenges as well as opportunities. In oil-rich countries that are considered to developing countries, governments have typically subsidized consumption of electricity and petrol. With dwindling government revenues to low oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, renewable energy is gaining more attention as a considerable alternative. In this article, the author examines the impact of COVID-19 on reduction in fossil fuel consumption; the acceleration of access to electricity through use of solar home systems and mini-grids; the reduction of environmental pollution; and the ultimately the reduction of energy poverty. The analysis highlights the opportunities for renewable energy businesses to re-assess their business models to ensure that they survive the temporary economic challenges and are better positioned for a post COVID-19 world.

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The Demand For Storage Technologies In Energy Transition Pathways Towards 100% Renewable Energy For India

Energy Procedia ◽

10.1016/j.egypro.2017.09.485 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 135 ◽

pp. 37-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Ashish Gulagi ◽

Dmitrii Bogdanov ◽

Christian Breyer

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Transition Pathways ◽

Storage Technologies

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Assessing African Energy Transitions: Renewable Energy Policies, Energy Justice, and SDG 7

Politics and Governance ◽

10.17645/pag.v9i1.3615 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 119-130

Author(s):

Franziska Müller ◽

Manuel Neumann ◽

Carsten Elsner ◽

Simone Claar

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Transition ◽

African Continent ◽

Energy Policies ◽

Energy Demands ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Energy Needs ◽

Policy Frameworks ◽

Renewable Energy Policies ◽

Energy Justice

Renewable energy has made significant inroads in addressing growing energy demands on the African continent. However, progress towards SDG 7 is still limited and difficult to trace. Furthermore, the results-oriented rationale of the SDGs means that both policy change and the dimension of environmental justice are not covered properly. We argue that the energy justice concept may provide a powerful tool to offset looming trade-offs and enhance the co-benefits of SDG 7 within broader transition endeavours. In doing so, we assess African energy transition processes based on a comparative mapping of African renewable energy policies in 34 countries. We investigate the scope of policy frameworks in order to analyse their contribution to greater energy justice along different justice dimensions. We then identify four transition scenarios, which reflect the challenges of integrating the justice dimension into renewable energy policies. In comparing these scenarios, we argue that SDG 7 tracking needs to consider the justice dimension to arrive at a more holistic implementation that is in line with socio-ecological justice and takes account of people’s energy needs.

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