Abstract
This paper reviews and analyzes the challenges of energy transition governance towards a low-carbon society as a political achievement. The main research question is how specific “transition governance approaches” (as advocated by transition theory) can be embedded/anchored in the policy-making logics and practices. We analyze three country cases, known for their path-breaking efforts in the area: Germany (due to its pioneering role in the development and diffusion of renewable energy technologies), the Netherlands (due to its pioneering role in launching the transition management framework), and the United Kingdom (due to its pioneering role in adopting a long-term legislative commitment to a low-carbon future). The paper identifies best governance practices and remaining challenges in the following areas: (i) connecting long-term visions with short- and mid-term action; (ii) innovation (technological as well as social); (iii) integration (of multiple objectives and policy areas and levels); (iv) societal engagement; and (v) learning/reflexivity.
Highlights
Over the past two decades sustainable development has become increasingly accepted as an important overarching objective for governments and societies
By observing and comparing existing/tried strategies and trajectories towards low carbon solutions and framing them according to the local context, more can be learned in terms of the range, effectiveness, and mixture of ingredients that are imperative/recommendable for navigation towards a low-carbon energy system
Establishing a Committee on Climate Change (CCC), as an independent expert advisory body that can make recommendations to government concerning the pathway to the 2050 target
Summary
Over the past two decades sustainable development has become increasingly accepted as an important overarching objective for governments and societies. By 2050 compared to 1990 in order to keep global warming below 2 °C compared to pre-industrial levels Following up on this commitment, the European Commission has recently published its “Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050” [3], which sets a framework of milestones, policy challenges, investment needs, and opportunities for the EU member states. Technologies, institutions, (political) culture, and social practices should be reformed in a coordinated way in order to guarantee a more environmentally sound and equitable development trajectory Such processes of systemic change are studied in the emerging field of transition theory [5].
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