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The industry role in policymaking: Policy learning in climate politics
Mälardalen University, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology. (PRO)ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3831-0886
2009 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Climatic change has sparked a broad range of responses on all societal levels. New initiatives and negotiations, scientific findings, and technological developments, have established a novel framework for policymaking and industrial abatement investments. Lessons on the evolving framework should be analysed and utilised to handle the dynamic reality of climate policymaking processes.

Governments in the majority of economies only have an indirect and long-term influence on reducing industrial emissions, as they do not own the emitting operations. As representing one-third of the global carbon dioxide emissions, industry is therefore a key stakeholder group in whether or not the political agenda will be fulfilled. How industry perceives that obstacles and opportunities affect investment calculi are thus important. Hence, policymakers should facilitate policy learning (PL) to aid the creation of effective and efficient political agendas. This is important to acknowledge the policy and investment experiences of industrial actors and to deal with a number of plausible investment obstacles identified under the novel framework.

Taking stock of PL and other policy theories, this thesis is aimed to develop recommendations for facilitating PL and thus contributing to more effective and efficient climate policy frameworks. The results highlight the role of industry in abatement and political strategies where policymakers need to gain knowledge on how industries perceive abatement investment obstacles and how these may be bridged. The intrinsic learning values of government-industry negotiated agreements (NAs) are emphasised and a framework for operationalising PL through NA designs is developed. PL is furthermore identified as important, and NAs are recommended as a policy instrument, to fill knowledge gaps identified in two case-studies of promoting complex and novel industrial operations. This thesis also recommends a participatory policy evaluation tool that is sensitive to industrial competitiveness and establishes a forum for discussions on perceived investment obstacles and opportunities under different conditions. The results are not aimed to provide a blueprint for a comprehensive climate policy framework but as a contribution to literature and the incremental learning that this thesis strongly promotes.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Västerås: Mälardalen University , 2009.
Series
Mälardalen University Press Dissertations, ISSN 1651-4238 ; 78
Keywords [en]
Climate policy; Policy learning; Participatory policymaking; Policy evaluation; Voluntary agreements; Negotiated agreements; Industry
National Category
Other Environmental Engineering
Research subject
Energy- and Environmental Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-7324ISBN: 978-91-86135-40-9 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-7324DiVA, id: diva2:241765
Public defence
2009-11-02, Zeta, Högskoleplan 1, Västerås, 13:30 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2009-10-06 Created: 2009-10-05 Last updated: 2013-11-12Bibliographically approved
List of papers
1. Obstacles for CCS deployment: An analysis of discrepancies of perceptions
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Obstacles for CCS deployment: An analysis of discrepancies of perceptions
2012 (English)In: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, ISSN 1381-2386, E-ISSN 1573-1596, Vol. 17, no 6, p. 601-619Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

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.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2012
Keywords
Carbon capture and storage; Deployment; Risk; Abatement potential; Stakeholder analysis
National Category
Energy Engineering
Research subject
Energy- and Environmental Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-7321 (URN)10.1007/s11027-011-9353-3 (DOI)000305985200003 ()2-s2.0-84864277846 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2009-10-05 Created: 2009-10-05 Last updated: 2017-09-27Bibliographically approved
2. Improving policy making through government-industry policy learning: the case of a novel Swedish policy framework
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Improving policy making through government-industry policy learning: the case of a novel Swedish policy framework
2009 (English)In: Applied Energy, ISSN 0306-2619, E-ISSN 1872-9118, Vol. 86, no 4, p. 399-406Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

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.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2009
Keywords
Energy policy; Climate policy; Policy design; Policy learning; Industry; Carbon dioxide
National Category
Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies)
Research subject
Energy- and Environmental Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-5659 (URN)10.1016/j.apenergy.2008.05.015 (DOI)000263490400001 ()2-s2.0-58049183467 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2009-03-30 Created: 2009-03-30 Last updated: 2018-01-13Bibliographically approved
3. Voluntary agreements as a vehicle for policy learning
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Voluntary agreements as a vehicle for policy learning
2009 (English)In: Proceedings of the Global Conference on Global Warming 2009 (GCGW-09), Istanbul Turkey, 2009, 2009Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

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.

Keywords
Negotiated agreements; Participatory policymaking; Policy learning; Climate policy
Research subject
Energy- and Environmental Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-7323 (URN)
Conference
Global Conference on Global Warming 2009 (GCGW-09), Istanbul Turkey, 2009
Available from: 2009-10-05 Created: 2009-10-05 Last updated: 2014-01-10Bibliographically approved
4. Policy evaluation according to relative industrial performance and competitiveness
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Policy evaluation according to relative industrial performance and competitiveness
2008 (English)Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
National Category
Energy Systems
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-1234 (URN)
Conference
The Fourth International Green Energy Conference, Beijing (China); 19-23 Oct 2008
Available from: 2008-10-10 Created: 2008-10-10 Last updated: 2016-01-13Bibliographically approved
5. Promoting Eco-Industrial Parks in China: Policy suggestions for voluntary agreements
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Promoting Eco-Industrial Parks in China: Policy suggestions for voluntary agreements
2007 (English)In: 3rd International Green Energy Conference: Proceedings of IGEC-III, 2007, 2007, p. 1273-1283Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

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.

Keywords
China, Eco-Industrial Park, energy efficiency, resource efficiency, energy policy, voluntary agreements
National Category
Energy Systems
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-2930 (URN)978-91-85485-53-6 (ISBN)
Conference
3rd INTERNATIONAL GREEN ENERGY CONFERENCE 17-21 june 2OO7, VÄSTERÅS, SWEDEN
Available from: 2008-02-25 Created: 2008-02-25 Last updated: 2016-01-13Bibliographically approved

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