Governing low-carbon energy transitions in sustainable ways: Potential synergies and conflicts between climate and environmental policy objectives

• Published in: Energy policy Vol. 88; pp. 245 - 252
• Main Authors: Hildingsson, Roger, Johansson, Bengt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2016; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Attainment; Carbon; Clean energy; Climate; Climate change; Climate policy; Conflicts; Control systems; Ecological monitoring; Energisystem; Energy; Energy policy; Energy Systems; Engineering and Technology; Environmental changes; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Management; Environmental policy; Environmental policy integration; Environmental quality; Environmental quality objectives; Governance; Miljöledning; Naturresursteknik; Objectives; Policies; Political Science; Samhällsvetenskap; Social Sciences; Statsvetenskap; Steering by objectives; Strategies; Strategy; Studies; Sustainability; Sustainability governance; Sustainable development; Teknik; Values; Sweden; Steering by objectives; Sustainability governance; Climate policy; Environmental policy integration; Environmental quality objectives
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.10.029

Climate change is a central sustainability concern, but is often treated separately from other policy areas in environmental governance. In this article we study how low-carbon energy transitions might be governed in line with broader sustainability goals. We identify conflicts and synergies between low-carbon strategies and the attainment of longer-term environmental objectives by examining the Swedish environmental quality objectives as a governance arrangement. Our analysis indicates that low-carbon strategies might be compatible with preserving other aspects of ecological sustainability. However, this requires relevant flanking policies and measures for non-climate objectives, e.g. systems that control the expansion of biomass and ensure the use of sustainable methods. For such a governance system to be credible and capable, it needs to be flexible in terms of adapting to specific and changing contexts, and reflexive enough to factor in new knowledge on requirements for sustainable development and potentially changing values of future generations. •We identify synergies and conflicts between climate and environmental objectives.•Low-carbon energy transitions can be compatible with other sustainability goals.•This demands relevant flanking policies, e.g. on sustainable biomass harvesting.•This requires policy measures to take different local contexts into account.•Governance systems need to respond to new knowledge and changing values.