“We cannot let this happen again”: reversing UK flood policy in response to the Somerset Levels floods, 2014

The Multiple Streams Framework offers a theoretical account of how policy proposals move from latent possibilities to becoming favored for implementation. We apply this framework in the context of the policy response to the 2013–2014 flooding of the Somerset Levels and Moors. Stakeholder interviews and analysis of news media coverage evidence the way in which a specific policy option that had fallen out of favor with the national Environment Agency – dredging – came to the fore and was eventually adopted during the period in which the conjunction of problem, policy, and political pressures came to a head. Local political activists mobilized a wider campaign with the help of social media and capitalized on national political sensitivities to successfully promote dredging. What is less clear is the longevity of the policy reversal, given funding constraints

The role of social identity in institutional work for sociotechnical transitions: The case of transport infrastructure in Berlin

Generally, sociotechnical change requires that agency is exercised across multiple, connected levels or contexts. Yet there is very little work in the sociotechnical sustainability transitions literature that theorises these connections in ways that acknowledge the individual-level processes involved. Here we show how identity theory can connect macro- and micro-levels of analysis, with identity construction being a social psychological process that is also involved in institutional work. For empirical illustration we use the case of emerging mobility transitions in Berlin, Germany, in particular aspects of institutional work for infrastructural change in favor of cycling. The study shows how the construction of a common identity among varied actor groups has been key to a citizen campaign for safe cycling infrastructure. The construction of a socially inclusive identity relating to cycling has been made possible by prioritizing the development of a campaign network comprised of weak ties among stakeholders, rather than a closer-knit network based on a more exclusive group of sporty cyclists. The findings are discussed in the light of both social psychological models and sociotechnical transitions theory. The implications for scaling niche practices for sustainability are considered

Narratives of change: Strategies for inclusivity in shaping socio-technical future visions

Narratives of change are increasingly becoming the focus in the context of sustainability transition, and one reason for this is the growing awareness of the impact of language on our environment. Drawing on an analysis of narratives of change of the Swedish strategic innovation program Viable Cities, in our article we illustrate how intermediary organizations seeking to facilitate sustainable futures use narratives to develop their strategies for inclusivity, and we discuss the value of narrative analysis to understand such mediation. In so doing, we draw on a narrative approach from literary studies and show the added value of analysis of textual presentation techniques for sustainability transitions research. As interpretations of discourse, narratives shape social communities and not only tell us about change, but also witness, and are intended to drive, specific changes. Our analysis of the presentation techniques of the narrative of Viable Cities reveals the ways in which the narrative seeks to achieve the goal of inclusion, to help drive change towards the goals of sustainability. This is done through the plurality of the storylines and the narration; while the plurality of perspectives is maintained through the essayistic character of the texts, as well as through stretching the time of the narrative

Exploring acceptance of decentralised energy storage at household and neighbourhood scales: A UK survey

Effective deployment of Distributed Energy Storage (DES) will depend in part on public attitudes and acceptance at both community and household levels. Here, we present the results of an exploratory survey to understand prospective public acceptance of DES technologies at household and community level in the UK (N = 949). The research design draws on previous qualitative technology acceptance work that was undertaken to inform the survey. We show that while the level of awareness of DES among the UK public is still very low, initial evaluation of information on domestic and neighbourhood battery storage is positive and evokes positive feelings that are significant predictors of positive attitudes. Moreover, the UK public has strong expectations about the technology, its benefits and its management. In particular, the results point to a bounded and place-based role for altruism: that people are more likely to accept energy storage facilities in their neighbourhood if they are for the benefit of that same neighbourhood. The results help us to understand public expectations of the technologies and the institutions relevant to decentralised energy design and deployment by commercial and public sector actors, as well as having implications for policy design and communication strategies

Finding in Commercial-Engineer Controversy

Finding concerning a controversy between the commercial and engineer departments at Utah Agricultural College

Connecting dots: multiple perspectives on socio-technical transition and social practices

This Crossing Boundary hosts contributions accounting for experiences and theoretical perspectives which may look distant for how they address the socio-technical transition in the energy field but, we believe, when put in conversation, help common questions and tentative answers come to the fore. Giorgio Osti, Paul Upham, Paula Maria Bagel and Paula Castro have been engaged in reflecting on their respective disciplines in relation to socio-technical transitions. Recalling and valorising the STS basis of MLP and SPT in connection with other disciplinary approaches may contribute to enrich on one side STS debates and on the other empirical research on socio-technical transition in a historical juncture where such an endeavour looks definitely urgent.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Organisational aspects of public engagement in European energy infrastructure planning: the case of early-stage CCS projects

Recent years have witnessed a proliferation of studies on public perceptions of carbon capture and storage (CCS), accompanied by efforts to translate such knowledge into toolkits for public engagement and communication. At the same time, both literature and toolkits have paid little attention to the organisational dynamics and views of project implementers with regard to public engagement. Here we investigate the views of project development consortia employees in five European CCS projects, focusing on their experience of organisational norms and structures relating to engagement. Finding that planning for this engagement has, in several cases, been hampered by a lack of shared internal vision on engagement and communication within the project consortia, at least initially, we draw upon the socio-technical approach to technology embedment and new institutional theory, to observe that internal organisational alignment is crucial in multi-organisational projects when seeking effective public engagement and communication. We observe that this aspect of internal organisation is not yet reflected in the toolkits and guidelines designed to aid engagement in CCS projects. Engagement guides need to direct the attention of project implementers not only in specific outward directions, but also towards reflexively considering their own internal structures, perspectives, motivations, expectations and aims in relation to engagement and communication practice

Stakeholder signalling and strategic niche management: The case of aviation biokerosene

This paper explores a case of reputation and stakeholder management in sustainability transitions. We use the case of aviation biofuel (biokerosene) to explore the complications around signalling in strategic niche management processes. Biokerosene is currently supplied at several Scandinavian airports in a low percentage blend, either as standard or upon request, although trials suggest that modern jet engines can reliably handle much higher percentage blends. Airlines, airports and biokerosene suppliers cooperate in a process of mutual strategic positioning that supports confidence-building and market development, while at the same time being intended to encourage positive stakeholder perceptions. A key challenge for the sector, however, is that signalling biokerosene as a response to aviation-related climate emissions is complicated by mixed societal perceptions of biofuel sustainability; and the policy and material conditions for affordable, sustainable, large scale supply of biofuel are lacking. Thus while parts of the sector would like to more clearly signal the value of existing and greater biokerosene use, interrelationships between reputational risks, supply constraints and economics limit this. By bringing stakeholder management theory to strategic niche management, we present a view of the latter as in part reputationally driven, in response to the uncertain legitimacy of a technology at an early stage in its market development.</p

UK public perceptions of shale gas hydraulic fracturing:The role of audience, message and contextual factors on risk perceptions and policy support

There is growing recognition of the need to understand public attitudes to energy sources, such as shale gas, and to feed these into decision-making. This study represents the first detailed UK experimental survey of public perceptions of shale gas fracking, including analysis of the effects of different messages and the relative influence of different audience, message and contextual factors on support and risk perceptions in respect of shale gas fracking. Using an online survey (N = 1457) of the UK public, we find considerable ambivalence about shale gas, but also greater awareness of potential risks than benefits. Prior knowledge is associated with more favourable attitudes, although demographics, political affiliation and environmental values are strongest influences on perceptions. When provided with environmental or economic information about shale gas, participants became more positive – irrespective of their prior values or whether information is framed in terms of losses or gains. As expected, prior attitudes predict how information is received, with more attitude change amongst the most ambivalent respondents. We conclude that additional information about shale gas is more likely to be effective changing attitudes if focussed on this ’undecided’ group. Studies of this type are important for policy makers and industry alike

Social capital, resource constraints and low growth communities: Lifestyle entrepreneurs in Nicaragua

In the context of the connections between lifestyle entrepreneurship and sustainability, we discuss the way in which social capital may partially substitute or compensate for manufactured and natural capital. In terms of methods we use a case study community of lifestyle entrepreneurs in Nicaragua, operating under conditions of material resource constraints and weak formal institutions. We find that social capital is highly important in such a community, with the entrepreneurs adopting a range of effectuation or coping practices that enable them to function. We document these practices and consider the broader implications of such capital substitution, noting the particularities of the case study but also the implications for sustainability and the economics of a materially resource-constrained world. We draw particularly on Bourdieu's conception of social capital, which posits that societies inherently organize for multi-capital accumulation, a proposal that itself has implications for sustainability. We conclude that while significant substitution of social for manufactured and natural capital is feasible in communities with values that are supportive of this, it remains to be seen whether this would be attractive to the wider, consumer society. © 2018 by the authors