IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v39y2011i6p3832-3844.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An international comparison of four polycentric approaches to climate and energy governance

Author

Listed:
  • Sovacool, Benjamin K.

Abstract

Drawing from work on governance, this article explores four programs and policies that respond in some way to the challenges induced by climate change and modern energy use. Relying primarily on original data collected from research interviews and field research in seven countries along with four case studies, the article notes that polycentric approaches - those that mix scales (such as local/national or national/global), mechanisms (such as subsidies, tax credits, and mandates), and actors (such as government regulators, business stakeholders, and members of civil society) - can foster equity, inclusivity, information, accountability, organizational multiplicity, and adaptability that result in the resolution of climate and energy related problems. After explaining its case selection and research methods, defining climate and energy governance, and conceptualizing polycentrism, the study explores cases related to electricity supply in Denmark, ethanol production in Brazil, small-scale renewable energy in Bangladesh, and off-grid energy use in China. It concludes by highlighting how polycentrism may enhance effective climate and energy governance, but that further research is needed to fully substantiate that claim.

Suggested Citation

  • Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2011. "An international comparison of four polycentric approaches to climate and energy governance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3832-3844, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:39:y:2011:i:6:p:3832-3844
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421511002977
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Florini, Ann & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2009. "Who governs energy? The challenges facing global energy governance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5239-5248, December.
    2. Morthorst, P. E., 2000. "The development of a green certificate market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(15), pages 1085-1094, December.
    3. Krister Andersson & Elinor Ostrom, 2008. "Analyzing decentralized resource regimes from a polycentric perspective," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 41(1), pages 71-93, March.
    4. Elinor Ostrom, 2000. "Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norms," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 137-158, Summer.
    5. Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2009. "Rejecting renewables: The socio-technical impediments to renewable electricity in the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4500-4513, November.
    6. Elinor Ostrom, 2014. "A Polycentric Approach For Coping With Climate Change," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 15(1), pages 97-134, May.
    7. Painuly, J.P, 2001. "Barriers to renewable energy penetration; a framework for analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 73-89.
    8. William Blomquist, 2009. "Multi-level Governance and Natural Resource Management: The Challenges of Complexity, Diversity, and Uncertainty," Springer Books, in: Volker Beckmann & Martina Padmanabhan (ed.), Institutions and Sustainability, chapter 6, pages 109-126, Springer.
    9. E A Vasconcellos, 1997. "The Making of the Middle-Class City: Transportation Policy in São Paulo," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 29(2), pages 293-310, February.
    10. Catania, Peter, 1999. "China's rural energy system and management," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 64(1-4), pages 229-240, September.
    11. Unknown, 2005. "Forward," 2005 Conference: Slovenia in the EU - Challenges for Agriculture, Food Science and Rural Affairs, November 10-11, 2005, Moravske Toplice, Slovenia 183804, Slovenian Association of Agricultural Economists (DAES).
    12. Qiu, Daxiong & Gu, Shuhua & Catania, Peter & Huang, Kun, 1996. "Diffusion of improved biomass stoves in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 463-469, May.
    13. Islam, A.K.M. Sadrul & Islam, Mazharul & Rahman, Tazmilur, 2006. "Effective renewable energy activities in Bangladesh," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 677-688.
    14. Cerqueira Leite, Rogério Cezar de & Verde Leal, Manoel Regis Lima & Barbosa Cortez, Luís Augusto & Griffin, W. Michael & Gaya Scandiffio, Mirna Ivonne, 2009. "Can Brazil replace 5% of the 2025 gasoline world demand with ethanol?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 655-661.
    15. -, 2009. "The economics of climate change," Sede Subregional de la CEPAL para el Caribe (Estudios e Investigaciones) 38679, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    16. Smith, Kirk R. & Shuhua, Gu & Kun, Huang & Daxiong, Qiu, 1993. "One hundred million improved cookstoves in China: How was it done?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 941-961, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Poocharoen, Ora-orn & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2012. "Exploring the challenges of energy and resources network governance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 409-418.
    2. Osberghaus, Daniel & Finkel, Elyssa & Pohl, Max, 2010. "Individual Adaptation to Climate Change: The Role of Information and Perceived Risk," MPRA Paper 26569, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Steven E. Orchard & Lindsay C. Stringer & Claire H. Quinn, 2015. "Environmental Entitlements: Institutional Influence on Mangrove Social-Ecological Systems in Northern Vietnam," Resources, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-36, November.
    4. Sebastian Levi & Christian Flachsland & Michael Jakob, 2020. "Political Economy Determinants of Carbon Pricing," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 20(2), pages 128-156, May.
    5. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Martiskainen, Mari, 2020. "Hot transformations: Governing rapid and deep household heating transitions in China, Denmark, Finland and the United Kingdom," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    6. Bardt, Hubertus & Feld, Lars P. & Konrad, Kai A. & Thum, Marcel & Buchholz, Wolfgang & Rübbelke, Dirk & Hey, Christian & Holm-Muller, Karin & Weber, Michael & Pethig, Rudiger & Weimann, Joachim & Goes, 2011. "Emissionsvermeidung oder Anpassung an den Klimawandel: Welche Zukunft hat die Klimapolitik?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 64(05), pages 3-29.
    7. Benjamin K. Sovacool, 2016. "The history and politics of energy transitions: Comparing contested views and finding common ground," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-81, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Brock, W. A. & Xepapadeas, A., 2015. "Modeling Coupled Climate, Ecosystems, and Economic Systems," Climate Change and Sustainable Development 206837, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    9. Chaiyapa, Warathida & Esteban, Miguel & Kameyama, Yasuko, 2018. "Why go green? Discourse analysis of motivations for Thailand's oil and gas companies to invest in renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 448-459.
    10. Scrieciu, S. Şerban & Barker, Terry & Ackerman, Frank, 2013. "Pushing the boundaries of climate economics: critical issues to consider in climate policy analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 155-165.
    11. John Byrne & Job Taminiau, 2016. "A review of sustainable energy utility and energy service utility concepts and applications: realizing ecological and social sustainability with a community utility," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(2), pages 136-154, March.
    12. Dekel, Sagi & Fischer, Sven & Zultan, Ro’i, 2017. "Potential Pareto Public Goods," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 87-96.
    13. Schmidt, Johannes & Leduc, Sylvain & Dotzauer, Erik & Schmid, Erwin, 2011. "Cost-effective policy instruments for greenhouse gas emission reduction and fossil fuel substitution through bioenergy production in Austria," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3261-3280, June.
    14. Moon, Wanki, 2011. "Is agriculture compatible with free trade?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 13-24.
    15. Tiziano Distefano & Simone D'Alessandro, 2017. "An Evolutionary approach to International Environmental Agreements," SEEDS Working Papers 0517, SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies, revised Sep 2017.
    16. Graham R. Marshall, 2010. "Climate change, economics and hope: a comment on Brennan ," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 54(1), pages 1-4, January.
    17. Mario Ragwitz & Simone Steinhilber, 2014. "Effectiveness and efficiency of support schemes for electricity from renewable energy sources," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(2), pages 213-229, March.
    18. Yaqoot, Mohammed & Diwan, Parag & Kandpal, Tara C., 2016. "Review of barriers to the dissemination of decentralized renewable energy systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 477-490.
    19. Benjamin K. Sovacool, 2016. "The history and politics of energy transitions: Comparing contested views and finding common ground," WIDER Working Paper Series 081, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Zhang, Zongxi & Zhang, Yixiang & Zhou, Yuguang & Ahmad, Riaz & Pemberton-Pigott, Crispin & Annegarn, Harold & Dong, Renjie, 2017. "Systematic and conceptual errors in standards and protocols for thermal performance of biomass stoves," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1343-1354.

    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:eee:enepol:v:39:y:2011:i:6:p:3832-3844. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    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.