IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/wireae/v5y2016i1p49-56.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Interdisciplinary research in climate and energy sciences

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaofeng Xu
  • Santonu Goswami
  • Jay Gulledge
  • Stan D. Wullschleger
  • Peter E. Thornton

Abstract

Due to the complex nature of climate change, interdisciplinary research approaches involving knowledge and skills from a broad range of disciplines have been adopted for studying changes in the climate system as well as strategies for mitigating climate change (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions reductions) and adapting to its impacts on society and natural systems. Harnessing of renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels is widely regarded as a long‐term mitigation strategy that requires the synthesis of knowledge from engineering, technology, and natural and social sciences. In this study, we examine how the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches has evolved over time and in different geographic regions. We conducted a comprehensive literature survey using an evaluation matrix of keywords, in combination with a word cloud analysis, to evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of scholarly discourse about interdisciplinary approaches to climate change and renewable energy research and development (R&D). Publications that discuss interdisciplinary approaches to climate change and renewable energy have substantially increased over the last 60 years; it appears, however, that the nature, timing, and focus of these publications vary across countries and through time. Over the most recent three decades, the country‐level contribution to interdisciplinary research for climate change has become more evenly distributed, but this was not true for renewable energy research, which remained dominated by the United Sates and a few other major economies. The research topics have also evolved: Water resource management was emphasized from 1990s to 2000s, policy and adaptation were emphasized from the 2000s to 2010–2013, while vulnerability became prominent during the most recent years (2010–2013). Our analysis indicates that the rate of growth of interdisciplinary research for renewable energy lags behind that for climate change, possibly because knowledge emanating from climate change science has motivated the subsequent upswing in renewable energy R&D. WIREs Energy Environ 2016, 5:49–56. doi: 10.1002/wene.180 This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Climate and Environment Energy and Climate > Climate and Environment

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaofeng Xu & Santonu Goswami & Jay Gulledge & Stan D. Wullschleger & Peter E. Thornton, 2016. "Interdisciplinary research in climate and energy sciences," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 49-56, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:wireae:v:5:y:2016:i:1:p:49-56
    DOI: 10.1002/wene.180
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.180
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/wene.180?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Taber Allison & Terry Root & Peter Frumhoff, 2014. "Thinking globally and siting locally – renewable energy and biodiversity in a rapidly warming world," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 1-6, September.
    2. R. K. Pachauri, 2012. "The way forward in climate change mitigation," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(1), pages 3-8, July.
    3. Gunnar Luderer & Volker Krey & Katherine Calvin & James Merrick & Silvana Mima & Robert Pietzcker & Jasper Vliet & Kenichi Wada, 2014. "The role of renewable energy in climate stabilization: results from the EMF27 scenarios," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 123(3), pages 427-441, April.
    4. Nick Johnstone & Ivan Haščič & David Popp, 2010. "Renewable Energy Policies and Technological Innovation: Evidence Based on Patent Counts," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 45(1), pages 133-155, January.
    5. Gunnar Luderer & Volker Krey & Katherine Calvin & James Merrick & Silvana Mima & Robert Pietzcker & Jasper van Vliet & Kenichi Wada, 2014. "The role of renewable energy in climate stabilization: results from the EMF27 scenarios," Post-Print halshs-00961843, HAL.
    6. Connolly, D. & Lund, H. & Mathiesen, B.V. & Leahy, M., 2010. "A review of computer tools for analysing the integration of renewable energy into various energy systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(4), pages 1059-1082, April.
    7. Daniel J. M. Hayes, 2013. "Second-generation biofuels: why they are taking so long," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(3), pages 304-334, May.
    8. Elias Sanz-Casado & J. Carlos Garcia-Zorita & Antonio Eleazar Serrano-López & Birger Larsen & Peter Ingwersen, 2013. "Renewable energy research 1995–2009: a case study of wind power research in EU, Spain, Germany and Denmark," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(1), pages 197-224, April.
    9. Peter Lund & John Byrne, 2014. "Energy and environment is defined by its cross-disciplinary basis: an editorial essay," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(1), pages 1-2, January.
    10. Jacobsson, Staffan & Johnson, Anna, 2000. "The diffusion of renewable energy technology: an analytical framework and key issues for research," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(9), pages 625-640, July.
    11. Peter Lund & John Byrne, 2012. "Energy strategies to confront climate change," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(1), pages 1-2, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kai Nishikawa, 2023. "How and why are citations between disciplines made? A citation context analysis focusing on natural sciences and social sciences and humanities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(5), pages 2975-2997, May.
    2. Schuitema, Geertje & D. Sintov, Nicole, 2017. "Should we quit our jobs? Challenges, barriers and recommendations for interdisciplinary energy research," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 246-250.
    3. Peters, Jared L. & Remmers, Tiny & Wheeler, Andrew J. & Murphy, Jimmy & Cummins, Valerie, 2020. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of GIS use to reveal trends in offshore wind energy research and offer insights on best practices," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dai, Hancheng & Fujimori, Shinichiro & Silva Herran, Diego & Shiraki, Hiroto & Masui, Toshihiko & Matsuoka, Yuzuru, 2017. "The impacts on climate mitigation costs of considering curtailment and storage of variable renewable energy in a general equilibrium model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 627-637.
    2. Mai Inoue & Yutaka Genchi & Yuki Kudoh, 2017. "Evaluating the Potential of Variable Renewable Energy for a Balanced Isolated Grid: A Japanese Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, January.
    3. Collins, Seán & Deane, John Paul & Poncelet, Kris & Panos, Evangelos & Pietzcker, Robert C. & Delarue, Erik & Ó Gallachóir, Brian Pádraig, 2017. "Integrating short term variations of the power system into integrated energy system models: A methodological review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 839-856.
    4. Mehdi Ben Jebli & Montassar Kahia, 2020. "The interdependence between CO2 emissions, economic growth, renewable and non-renewable energies, and service development: evidence from 65 countries," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 193-212, September.
    5. Deger Saygin & Ruud Kempener & Nicholas Wagner & Maria Ayuso & Dolf Gielen, 2015. "The Implications for Renewable Energy Innovation of Doubling the Share of Renewables in the Global Energy Mix between 2010 and 2030," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-38, June.
    6. Poncelet, Kris & Delarue, Erik & Six, Daan & Duerinck, Jan & D’haeseleer, William, 2016. "Impact of the level of temporal and operational detail in energy-system planning models," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 631-643.
    7. Charles Neumeyer & Robert Goldston, 2016. "Dynamic EROI Assessment of the IPCC 21st Century Electricity Production Scenario," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-15, April.
    8. van der Zwaan, Bob & Kober, Tom & Calderon, Silvia & Clarke, Leon & Daenzer, Katie & Kitous, Alban & Labriet, Maryse & Lucena, André F.P. & Octaviano, Claudia & Di Sbroiavacca, Nicolas, 2016. "Energy technology roll-out for climate change mitigation: A multi-model study for Latin America," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 526-542.
    9. Merrick, James H. & Weyant, John P., 2019. "On choosing the resolution of normative models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 279(2), pages 511-523.
    10. Zhang, Shuwei & Bauer, Nico & Yin, Guangzhi & Xie, Xi, 2020. "Technology learning and diffusion at the global and local scales: A modeling exercise in the REMIND model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    11. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/f6h8764enu2lskk9p4oq2cqb0 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Mu, Yaqian & Wang, Can & Cai, Wenjia, 2018. "The economic impact of China's INDC: Distinguishing the roles of the renewable energy quota and the carbon market," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2955-2966.
    13. Avri Eitan, 2021. "Promoting Renewable Energy to Cope with Climate Change—Policy Discourse in Israel," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    14. Sonawat, Arihant & Choi, Young-Seok & Kim, Kyung Min & Kim, Jin-Hyuk, 2020. "Parametric study on the sensitivity and influence of axial and radial clearance on the performance of a positive displacement hydraulic turbine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    15. Misconel, S. & Leisen, R. & Mikurda, J. & Zimmermann, F. & Fraunholz, C. & Fichtner, W. & Möst, D. & Weber, C., 2022. "Systematic comparison of high-resolution electricity system modeling approaches focusing on investment, dispatch and generation adequacy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    16. Nesta, Lionel & Vona, Francesco & Nicolli, Francesco, 2014. "Environmental policies, competition and innovation in renewable energy," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 396-411.
    17. Matthias Weitzel, 2017. "The role of uncertainty in future costs of key CO2 abatement technologies: a sensitivity analysis with a global computable general equilibrium model," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 153-173, January.
    18. Martin Kalthaus, 2020. "Knowledge recombination along the technology life cycle," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 643-704, July.
    19. Thanh Tu Tran & Shinichiro Fujimori & Toshihiko Masui, 2016. "Realizing the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution: The Role of Renewable Energies in Vietnam," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-17, July.
    20. del Río, Pablo, 2012. "The dynamic efficiency of feed-in tariffs: The impact of different design elements," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 139-151.
    21. Guivarch, Céline & Monjon, Stéphanie, 2017. "Identifying the main uncertainty drivers of energy security in a low-carbon world: The case of Europe," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 530-541.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:wireae:v:5:y:2016:i:1:p:49-56. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=2041-8396 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.