Diffusion Paths for Micro Cogeneration Using Hydrogen in the Netherlands

We estimate the diffusion of micro cogeneration systems (MiCoGen) using hydrogen produced from natural gas in the Netherlands for the 2000-2050 period on the basis of economical factors. The diffusion is important for the transition to a hydrogen economy based on renewables, with natural gas paving the way for hydrogen from renewables which. For three scenarios full diffusion takes place in the period 2020-2050. The most important factors behind the diffusion are: growing energy demand, resulting in lower hydrogen costs and higher energy costs in the reference case and lower costs of MiCoGen stemming from learning economies. The model is very ad-vanced by considering all costs components for heterogeneous users which have been calculated for the entire diffusion period. It is the first threshold diffusion model that is being applied to the diffusion of technological clusters involving new or adapted infrastructures.diffusion model, hydrogen, hydrogen economy, micro cogeneration

Sustainability and reflexive governance : Introduction

First published by Edward Elgar publishing house http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/: Voß, Jan-Peter ; Kemp, René: Sustainability and reflexive governance : introduction. - In: Voß, Jan-Peter ; Bauknecht, Dierk and Kemp, René: Reflexive governance for sustainable development. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar, 2006. - ISBN: 978-1-84542-582-1. - pp. 3–30

Dutch policies to manage the transition to sustainable energy

Many countries are committed to sustainability but are struggling with how to do this. Most countries opted for sustainability councils and the development of sustainability indicators. The Dutch government followed a different track. It believed that sustainability requires some fundamental changes in functional systems of for example energy, transport and agriculture. It conceptualised the quest towards sustainability as an issue of managing transitions in functional systems. In this paper we examine why the Dutch government became interested in transitions. We will see that transition management was attractive because it allowed different ministries to pursue their own agenda but in a different way: with more attention to innovation and learning. We will look at the model of transition management and the Dutch policies for managing the energy transition. The model is believed to be an interesting model of governance, employing an integrative and multi-scale framework for policy deliberation, choice of instruments, and actions by individuals, private and public organizations, helping society to escape lock-in while avoiding new evolutionary traps

Innovation policy for the Dutch energy transition Operationalising transition management?

The term transition is a key term of the fourth national environmental policy plan (NMP4, 2001), which put forward transition management (Rotmans et al, 2000) as a new policy approach for dealing with persistent and highly complex societal problems such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, overexploitation of resources and health risks related to the use of dangerous, non-natural substances. The NMP4 selected the energy supply, mobility, agriculture and the use of biodiversity and natural resources as priorities for developing transition management activities. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (holding responsibility over energy and innovation policy) has since the NMP4 been the leading actor in the so-called ‘energy-transition’. Several activities have been undertaken, based on the basic principles underlying transition management; long term visions as framework for short-term action, a multi-actor approach and a focus on learning and experiments. The approach has stimulated the involvement of a large number of stakeholders and led to the developments of shared visions, ambitions and strategies, experiments and projects. Besides, the approach itself has generated questions regarding regular policies, for example innovation and technology policies, and led to debates on policy integration and barriers in existing regulations. This discussion has been actively picked up by the Ministry and governmental advisory boards for energy and environment (Energieraad and VROM-raad 2004). It is an example of policy learning in which it was believed that sustainability requires some fundamental changes in functional systems, which in turn require policy-innovation. In this paper we will look at why the Ministry was interested in fostering an energy transition (where we will see that economic reasons, notably the willingness to create green energy business, was an important consideration). The paper will describe the policies and stakeholder process, which will be assessed from a transition management perspective. This means that the paper uses the multi-level, multi-phase transition management framework (Loorbach 2004b) to evaluate the energy-transition approach as developed by the ministry of Economic Affairs, in terms of content (what types of visions and experiments are developed?) and in terms of process (what kind of actors are involved, what instruments are used?). Special attention will be given to the nature of the policies developed and their difference with and implications for ‘regular’ policies. We will compare the difference with past policies and the changes in the system of governance. The paper will also seek to answer a more speculative issue: What are the prospects of the Dutch approach to achieve a transition and a flourishing sustainable energy business

Reflexive governance : A view on an emerging path

First published by Edward Elgar publishing house http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/: Voß, Jan-Peter ; Kemp, René and Bauknecht, Dierk: Reflexive governance : a view on an emerging path. - In: Voß, Jan-Peter ; Bauknecht, Dierk and Kemp, René: Reflexive governance for sustainable development. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar, 2006. - ISBN: 978-1-84542-582-1. - pp. 419–437

Incremental Steps and their Limits

Integrierte Produktpolitik bietet einen Rahmen für die Verbesserung der Umweltleistung von Produkten. Sie ist geeignet, schrittweise Verbesserungsinnovationen bei Produkten zu fördern. Doch läuft sie Gefahr, sich zu sehr auf bestehende Produktsysteme zu konzentrieren und hier­durch die für weit reichendere Umweltentlastungen erforderlichen Systeminnovationen zu vernachlässigen. Deshalb muss sie um weitere Politikansätze, wie etwa "transition manage­ment", ergänzt werden

Ten themes for eco-innovation policies in Europe

Most developed countries have innovation policies for green innovation. This paper examines the rationale for such policies, offers a typology of eco-innovation and develops ten themes for eco-innovation policy, which are: 1) the need for policy to be based on identified barriers, 2) preventing windfall profits, 3) specific versus generic support policies, 4) balance between policy measures and timing, 5) targeted spending in areas where innovation is needed, 6) missions, 7) strategic intelligence for innovation, 8) portfolios, 9) policy learning and 10) policy coordination and public-private interactions. Relevant cases are discussed and empirical information is provided. It is proposed that the ten themes serve as a framework for eco-innovation policy-making and policy evaluation