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Invisible energy policy: A new agenda for research and intervention

Panel: 2. Policy: governance, design, implementation and evaluation challenges

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Sarah Royston, Association for Decentralised Energy/ADE, United Kingdom
Jan Selby, University of Sussex, United Kingdom
Elizabeth Shove, University of Lancaster, United Kingdom

Abstract

Energy demand is not only shaped by energy policy - it is profoundly influenced by a host of other policies, laws, regulations, standards and cross cutting ambitions like those of liberalisation, growth or austerity. Since the impacts of non-energy policies on energy demand are often unintended, unseen and ignored we describe them as ‘invisible energy policies’. Although invisible, such policies are nonetheless critical, often underpinning increasing consumption, but with the potential to engender radical demand reduction.

Having introduced the concept of invisible energy policy and explained why it warrants attention from researchers and policy-makers alike, we outline a series of propositions regarding the relation between energy demand and non-energy policy. We distinguish between forms of policy process, on the one hand, and policy objectives on the other, both of which have implications for energy demand. We consider the boundaries that exist within policy-making: dividing ‘energy’ from ‘non-energy’; demarcating the roles, remits and responsibilities of different actors; and situating certain forms of energy demand as ‘non-negotiable,’ and we discuss the relation between energy demand reduction and what counts as ‘core business’ for national policy makers and for organisations like those in the health sector or higher education.

Building on these observations, we make some suggestions as to how non-energy policy might be deployed in pursuit of radical energy demand reduction. In taking this question seriously, we outline a new agenda for research and policy intervention designed to achieve radical energy demand reduction through many and varied forms of non-energy policy.

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Download this presentation as pdf: 2-105-17_Royston_presentation.pdf

Download this paper as pdf: 2-105-17_Royston.pdf