• Energy Research

The overall aim of WP4 is to use the insights gathered from WP2 (relating to energy technologies) and WP3 (regarding socio-economic analysis) to formulate a best practice policy toolkit for EU member states. As such, it will serve as a key input for WP6 to define innovative energy pathways, for WP7 to integrate this work package’s outputs in the energy portal, and for WP8 to stimulate dialogue at the national and EU level. This deliverable is an output for Task 4.3 that identifies and characterises the suite of energy behaviour change initiatives across a range of European Union countries. Section 1.2 provides an overview of the aims and objectives. With reference to several case studies across Europe, this deliverable has provided insights on success factors and commonly encountered barriers to energy behaviour change initiatives. Through an evaluation of a number of identified and characterised initiatives across the UK, Ireland, Spain, France and Italy, energy behaviour change initiatives are noted as being the ‘holy grail’ of sustainability which have the potential to influence the ways in which people use technologies as part of their everyday practices (Jackson, 2005). It is well noted that behaviour, practices and culture constitute a powerful human factor in the energy system; in particular the interactions between technologies, practices and norms that lock individuals in to certain patterns of (often inefficient) energy use. The result has been an increasing focus in behaviour change research, particularly on the social contexts in which people live, the routines they shape, and the extent to which people feel empowered to change them. This deliverable has identified, and characterised, a series of behaviour change initiatives, indicating the factors contributing to their relative success in influencing energy actions. The projects reviewed here illustrate a snapshot of current practices in this area, and while these projects do not represent an exhaustive list, it is from these understandings that a number of conclusions can be drawn.

Work Package 4 of the ENTRUST project focuses on the policy landscape of energy transitions in the European Union. This deliverable provides an up-to-date picture of the current situation concerning the policies and regulations related to the energy system in a range of European countries. Key technological, social and market factors are scrutinised in order to understand the various energy policy frameworks in Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany. An analysis of the national dialogues in each of the member states is provided with a particular focus on the key public discourses, along with an assessment of the main barriers hindering low carbon measures, in each country. As the ENTRUST project looks at the human factor within the energy system, this deliverable seeks to identify the socio-political and economic components contributing to the political agenda on energy. The sustainable energy transition paradigm, that involves a gradual shift from conventional energy sources to renewable, more region-specific ones, is assessed using new institutionalism theory. This theory fits quite well into the overall approach being taken by the ENTRUST project and has helped the authors to gain a deeper understanding of how the political system deals with the complexity that is ingrained in the energy transition. Also, how the frameworks within which socio-political institutions and policy paradigms operate and influence the direction and speed of the transition is explored. As key influencers in the energy transition, institutions play a key role in governing the behaviours on multiple levels, from individuals to the communities they participate in. The term "institution" is somewhat amorphous in its usage. It has been commonly used to describe both the formal entities setup to regulate people (e.g., supranational and national governments and the public services they provide) and the more informal practices associated with individual and group customs or behavioural patterns that have been valorised by societies over a period of time (e.g., national cuisines, and adherence to specific religious or secular festivals). This relational perspective on how social order is both created and maintained is important as it helps us to gain a better understanding of the factors that contribute to the strengths and weaknesses of the various policies being implemented across the EU to promote the energy transition. In taking this approach the strengths and challenges to energy transition are, in turn, highlighted in each country. Important national energy systems’ characteristics are also discussed, such as energy security, climate change, and the resultant threats to human health and ecosystems. In the first part of the deliverable, a theoretical introduction of the different concepts developed for this task are presented, followed by a general overview of EU energy policy and the detailed assessment of the six Member States’ energy systems. Key Performance Indicators, along with an assessment of the factors contributing to specific successful outcomes are used to reveal the differences between the six countries.

The ENTRUST project aims to analyse the social dimension of the European energy system to achieve a deep understanding of the human factor. It is not possible to have a comprehensive understanding of the energy system without analysing the policy landscape and its influence on energy consumption, and that is the main objective of the WP 4 of ENTRUST. The first task already resulted in a first deliverable, the D4.1 “Report on policy & regulation landscape”, that provides an overview of the legislation related to the European energy system. As per one of the objectives of ENTRUST, to better understand the human factor in the energy system, a specific analysis focusing on the influences of the energy market and its impact on behavioural change, was added to the mapping undertaken in D4.1. This deliverable 4.3 “Review of market-driven approaches in sustainable energy policies” is the result of this action. This deliverable aims to review this type of approach in supporting sustainable energy policies. The first part of the deliverable provides an overview on the use of market-based instruments (MBIs) in the six selected countries with specific attention on differences between their strategic orientations. The second part highlights particularly successful uses of MBIs and identifies the best practices to be replicated in the future applications of similar instruments. To work towards these energy and environmental 2020-objectives and more generally to tackle environmental issues due to human activities, the Member States have several policy approaches to support the sustainable energy policies set at European level: command & control and market-driven approaches. Many emerging sustainable energy technologies are not fully competitive yet, compared to conventional ones. One of the main challenges of the EU Member States is to support their deployment and to “use every tool at [their] disposal to drive down costs, to ensure renewable energy technologies become competitive and ultimately market driven” (EC, 2012-2). Therefore, this report will target specific instruments used by governments or public entities, known as market-based instruments, to stimulate market actors and encourage these actors to direct their choices towards more sustainable solutions. For the purposes of this deliverable, the following working definition has been adopted, informed by the previous ones: Market-based instruments are policy tools that seek to address the market failure of environmental externalities by using market signals (either prices or quantities) to stimulate certain behaviours, activities or investments. They either incorporate external costs of production or consumption activities or create property rights in order to encourage citizens or businesses to change their behaviours towards more sustainability.

WP2 undertakes an extensive characterisation of energy system actors. Within this context, this deliverable D2.1, as part of T2.1, is essential as its objectives are to develop an energy actor-network typology and to appreciate the complexity of the factors that can play a role in the transition towards a more sustainable energy era. The T2.1 and its ‘stakeholder analysis’ is aimed at informing subsequent work packages in terms of mapping the direct and indirect influences on the energy system, and the actors that comprise it. To accomplish this, an extensive data gathering exercise has been conducted to develop insights on the energy models of Ireland, UK, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and at the EU level. In addition, a number of key energy topics were studied in greater detail, and a range of discourses on the energy transition were mapped. An extended map for each of the six countries was produced. The extensive data gathering enabled the identification and exploration of areas of interest concerning the energy system, from nuclear phase out and promotion to fuel poverty, renewable energy deployment, energy independence and security, energy economics, political discourses, as well as capturing some influential socio-demographic factors. The multiplicity of fields that interconnect with, and within, the energy system indicates the complexity of the energy system itself, as well as some of the complexities involved in its transition to sustainability. At an individual Member State level, the fact that all six countries studied have a different overall energy model, even though these may share, or have shared, some similar characteristics, is a further indication of the complexities involved. For example, France and Germany are now following different paths with regard to nuclear energy. In the aftermath of World War II, nuclear power was of strategic importance to both countries to enable them to reconstruct quickly and to develop their economies. However, within the past two decades both countries have diverged drastically with Germany opting to decommission its nuclear power infrastructure, while France continues to invest in, and develop, nuclear energy. With regard to the energy transition, the position is similarly complex. Although the energy transition process is slow, each country has entered into it. This is demonstrated by the presence of similar discourses on the energy transition across the member states, as well as by the fact that they have all taken some steps towards a low carbon and sustainable energy system. However, it should also be noted that notwithstanding the moves to integrate EU energy markets, at present it seems that national factors may result in member states making their own individual energy transitions, albeit in a co-ordinated fashion. Similarities in experiences should not mask the (still) country-specific responses to energy choices – as exemplified by the divergent paths taken by France and Germany with regard to nuclear power. It should be noted here that notwithstanding the extensive data gathering and the comprehensive mapping of significant factors that influence the energy system, what are, necessarily, absent are the discourses of communities themselves regarding the energy system, as well as the social factors, including socio- demographic factors, that impact on communities’ engagement with the energy system, and ultimately on their consumption of energy. It is the aim of ENTRUST to identify those ‘absent’ discourses and factors; and to integrate them into our understanding of the energy system. In developing this fuller understanding of the ‘human factor’ in the energy system, and in consultation with the ‘communities of practice’, we can enhance their engagement with the sustainable energy transition, and map the way forward.

Abstract Behaviour, practices and culture constitute a powerful human factor in the energy system; in particular the interactions between technologies, practices and norms lock individuals in to certain patterns of (often inefficient) energy use. Consequently, behaviour change has gained traction amongst policymakers as a key area of intervention given the impact energy-related behaviours have on climate change. Given the increasing emphasis within policy perspectives in the European Union, it is surprising that a gap in understanding of the success factors of behaviour change initiatives remains. This paper addresses this gap by identifying and characterising behaviour change initiatives across five European countries (the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, and Spain). The paper provides insights into the success factors and commonly encountered barriers to behaviour change initiatives. Initiatives are classified into 6 broad categories (community-based interventions; information and awareness based interventions; eco-districts; show-case events; energy switching; and smart-technology focused interventions). The results suggest that there are significant knowledge gaps between what is known to work to engage individuals in behavioural change and what is currently being applied in practice. An over-reliance on education and awareness-raising projects is evident, illustrating that such projects do not sufficiently aim for sustained behavioural changes. A dearth of projects incorporating fiscal measures, regulations or legislation to drive behaviour change reflects reluctance on behalf of decision-makers to engage widely with diverse approaches to foster lifestyle change. This paper contributes understandings of the different models and delivery tools employed to change energy-related behaviours; insights into the critical success factors that underpin best practice and the barriers to action; and a ‘what works in practice’ overview of the meaningful approaches to change behaviour.

The principal objective of the ENTRUST project is to develop an understanding of the “human factor” in the energy system in order to utilise derived knowledge to foster the transition towards a sustainable energy paradigm. To develop this understanding, it is necessary to assess the policy landscape that influences energy consumption, the progress of the energy transition, and the public discourse on, and engagement with the energy transition – this work forms the basis of Work Package 4. Within this WP, T4.2 entitled “Assessment of Europeanisation in national policy dialogue” operates on the premise that “Europe’s energy systems are deeply integrated” assesses the extent to which this is reflected in national policy dialogues. Despite all the efforts to date to shape the European project including the energy dimension, complete integration of energy infrastructures and markets has not been achieved (Auverlot et al., 2014). In order to address the existing problems that result from this non-integration it is necessary to develop a meaningful, coherent, and comprehensive EU energy policy. Such an EU energy policy is vital to deal with global issues: Tackling climate change requires not only a shared commitment but also a common means; Building a coherent and comprehensive climate policy could strengthen the leading role of Europe in the international climate negotiations; Energy security issues must be considered in a comprehensive and inclusive manner on a EU-wide basis, rather than solely on the national scale, in order to tackle common problems and further protect European interests; Ensure the competitiveness of European companies; Inspire the European project which is losing momentum. This deliverable, D4.2, analyses the development of such a European energy policy, the different Europeanisation processes influencing this development, and to what extent this EU vision is transcribed into the national policy dialogues. The Europeanisation topic has been widely studied over the past two decades. While some authors describe Europeanisation as the emergence of exclusively European governance structures, the majority agree that Europeanisation describes a transfer process between the European institutions and the member States (MS). Integration of energy strategies, policy and legal systems (implementation of laws) plus the resulting effects on the energy system constitutes the concept of Europeanisation that supports this analysis. Thus, Europeanisation may be conceived as a dynamic process of policy transfer under the influence of several actors: European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, the MS and the lobbyists. The methodology of this study was developed to analyse, respectively, the top-down, bottom-up, and horizontal Europeanisation that have been implemented in order to decrypt the strategies at stake in six EU countries – namely France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK. For each country, the analysis has involved: a review of policy making processes – the national contribution to EU policy making, the transposition of EU directives, and national policy making; a review of the evolution of the Policy and Legal System (PLS) over the period 2005-2016; and ascertaining to what extent the European energy vision is transferred to the national level. Measuring the gap between the energy vision promoted by the European Commission and the reality of the existing energy system provides interesting insights that can facilitate the design of effective policy recommendations that serve the European project. Finally, the study of the horizontal Europeanisation is relevant insofar as it identifies the most interesting policies that, potentially, should be replicated.