Our carbon footprints will be smaller...
The need to find alternative sources of energy is crucial in the 21st century.
Climate change and decreasing fuel stocks are just some of the reasons why a shift to sustainable energy is of great importance.
However, a number of issues need to be understood before this massive transition takes place. At SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research, we are finding out exactly what needs to happen to enable a crossover to sustainable energy. Working closely with government, business and the general public, our researchers are addressing the challenges that such a huge undertaking will face. What technology do we need, how will we adapt our behaviour as energy users and how will we govern the transition to a sustainable energy economy?
Such questions need to be answered in order for a shift in energy supply to take place. In seeking to find solutions to these challenges we aim to enable a cleaner, more sustainable future for us all.
Exploring paths to sustainable energy futures
There is a growing awareness that the transition to a sustainable energy economy is one of the main challenges facing us in the 21st century. Climate change is a major factor, and there are many other reasons why we need to address the energy transition, including security of supply, fuel poverty and the opportunities offered by innovations such as renewable energy resources, distributed generation and combined heat and power.
Work by SPRU's Sussex Energy Group is responding to the challenges that must be met in order for a movement to a sustainable future to take place. Critically the transition needs to be designed in a way that maximises economic efficiency. An effective response requires technical ingenuity, behavioural change and virtually unprecedented political commitment. The uncertainties involved are similarly great, and conflicts of interest abound.
In close interaction with diverse groups in government, business and civil society, we are working on appraising the options for technology and policy around this transition.
A successful transition to sustainable energy demands careful analysis of the pros and cons of a variety of technology and policy options. Our research on strategic appraisal aims to find new ways to combine the rigour of quantitative techniques with the scope of qualitative approaches. We are developing new integrated methods, while delivering concrete evidence for public policy and corporate strategies.
The transition to sustainable energy will require profound transformations in the technologies, systems and infrastructures for energy service delivery, the capabilities of technology suppliers and the behaviour of energy users. Our research is developing tools for explaining and managing technological transitions.
The energy transition will also require policies that address the whole energy system. These policies must be negotiated and coordinated through networks of public, private and voluntary organisations. Our work on governance combines both analysis for governance, which seeks to understand policy problems and suggest appropriate solutions, and analysis of governance, which seeks to understand and explain the governance processes themselves.
In seeking viable solutions to these challenges we aim to enable and support the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Find out more about research in SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research.
