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The potential for CO₂ emission reductions through carbon capture and storage (CCS) is depending on investments that can develop the technology from its current R&D status through to commercial applications. An important intermediate step in this development is demonstration plants that can prove the economic, social, and ecological feasibility of CCS technologies and validate the associated global CO₂ emission abatement potentials. Based on a CCS stakeholder questionnaire survey and a literature review, we critically analyse discrepancies regarding how obstacles and barriers to deploy demonstration plants are perceived. We identify a significant gap between CCS policies versus important deployment considerations and CCS stakeholder policy demands. This gap is exemplified and emphasised by an analysis of restructured, postponed, and cancelled CCS projects. The findings question the rationality of current CCS abatement potential estimates and deployment goals as established in scenarios and by policymakers. To bridge the gap towards proving CCS through demonstration activities, the article highlights important policy implications to establish a broad understanding of deployment obstacles. Attention to these are important for policymakers as well as for scenario builders as to evaluate measures to prove the abatement potential and hence support current focus on CCS as a key abatement potential.

Climate change poses an unprecedented challenge for policy makers. This paper analyzes how industry sector policy expertise can contribute to improved policy making processes. Previous research has identified that policy making benefit by including non-governmental policy analysts in learning processes. Recent climate and energy policy developments, including policy amendments and the introduction of new initiatives, have rendered current policy regimes as novel both to governments and the industry. This increases business investment risk perceptions and may thus reduce the effectiveness and efficiency of the policy framework. In order to explore how government-industry policy learning can improve policy making in this context, this article studied the Swedish case. A literature survey analyzed how policy learning had been previously addressed, indentifying that the current situation regarding novel policies had been overlooked. Interviews provided how industrial actors view Swedish policy implementation processes and participatory aspects thereof. The authors conclude that an increased involvement of the industry sector in policy design and management processes can be an important measure to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of climate and energy policies.

Present literature identifies policy learning (PL) as contributing to effective and efficient policy design and management processes. Similarly, the participatory nature of specific voluntary agreements (VAs) has been identified as contributing to increased policy framework effectiveness and efficiency. Against this background, this study aims to prove the hypothesis that an increased attention to the possibilities for PL that exists in the VA policy framework can contribute to a better design of VAs, as well as potentially providing more positive evaluations thereof if acknowledging said learning. Hence, the study analyses to which extent that the literature acknowledges VAs’ learning potentials, and evaluates which policy recommendations that can be provided to increase the potential for PL. The study finds that VAs in the form of negotiated agreements are more successful in promoting PL than other types of VAs that have less focus on the participatory aspect of the policy processes. The study also identifies that the policy cycle of negotiated agreements includes four different stages of learning possibilities. As to facilitate that these stages can be fruitfully explored, the study presents recommended policy design and management elements that can increase learning. To this end, the study does not aim to provide recommendations for the entire VA process, as suggestions focus specifically on the learning aspects. The paper contributes to the existing VA policy literature through highlighting the predominately overseen learning values of implementing negotiated agreements as well as providing policy recommendations on VA learning processes.

China has in later years experienced a rapid economic development, which has occurred at the expense of the

environment. This strongly applies to the manufacturing industry as a central element in the developing economy.

The Chinese government is however now pursuing a development path associated with improved environmental

characteristics with a focus on Resource and Energy Efficiency (R&EE). Within this development Eco-Industrial

Parks (EIPs) can make an important contribution for improved R&EE in the manufacturing industry. EIPs facilitate

low energy and environmental impact production and the concept consequently comply both with economic and

ecologic development goals, while also having social benefits. While EIPs are promoted in the Chinese general

policy framework, such as the Circular Economy (CE), they are not targeted by any specific policy instruments.

Based on a review of international and Chinese policy recommendations and experiences on R&EE policy, the

paper identify that this can be effectively accomplished by Voluntary Agreements (VAs). A positive aspect of VAs is

the design flexibility that allows the instrument to be adapted to the varying conditions under which Industrial Parks

(IPs) operate in China. VAs are also identified to encompass a number of positive features in the China EIP case

as regards to increasing policy compliance, accomplishing short-term results, avoiding inefficient technological

lock-in as part of the rapid development, contributing to capacity building, and dealing with EIP management

barriers.