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Energy policy: instruments for deep decarbonisation - Einzelansicht

Veranstaltungsart Seminar Veranstaltungsnummer 429911
SWS 2 Semester SoSe 2020
Einrichtung Sozialwissenschaften   Sprache englisch
Belegungsfrist 20.04.2020 - 10.05.2020

Belegung über PULS
Gruppe 1:
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    Tag Zeit Rhythmus Dauer Raum Lehrperson Ausfall-/Ausweichtermine Max. Teilnehmer/-innen
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Seminar Fr 08:30 bis 12:00 Einzeltermin am 24.04.2020 N.N. Prof. Dr. Lilliestam  
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Seminar Fr 08:00 bis 12:00 14-täglich 01.05.2020 bis 24.07.2020  3.06.S23 Prof. Dr. Lilliestam  
Kurzkommentar

Die Einführungsveranstaltung am 24.04. findet über Zoom statt.

Bitte schreiben Sie sich in Moodle in den Kurs "Energy policy: instruments for deep decarbonisationein" (Passwort: EverySecondFridayForFuture). Dort erhalten Sie alle weiteren Informationen (bspw. Zoom-ID), die den Kurs betreffen.

Kommentar

Overview and setting of the course

Climate change is one of the big political challenges of our time. It has been on the political agenda for some 30 years, in an increasing number of countries. With the Paris Agreement, almost all countries in the world have committed themselves to contributing their share to limiting the global temperature to well below 2 degrees, implying a commitment to a fully carbon-neutral global economy by mid-century. This is a huge challenge – economically and technologically, for sure, but especially also societally and politically.

In terms of emission reductions, one cannot say that it has gone well: globally, GHG emissions are still increasing. To the largest extent, this is caused by economic growth and industrial development in emerging countries, causing a hunger for energy that is often fed with fossil energy, including oil for the growing transport systems and coal or gas power for the power grids.

In the industrialised world, however, emissions generally decrease. In Europe, for example, GHG emissions have decreased by some 20% compared to 1990, and the European Union may meet its 2020 climate target. Evidently, it is possible bend the emissions curve. In particular in the energy sector – responsible for some 2/3 of global greenhouse gas emissions – starts seeing radical changes, both through the rise of renewable energy technologies and efficiency measures. In Europe, at least some policy efforts appear to have worked: emissions and energy demand are decreasing, and European (together with a handful of other countries’) policies have contributed to making renewables technologically and economically viable, putting Europe and all other countries in a position where complete energy system decarbonisation may be feasible.

In this course, we will explore the instrumentation of climate policy in the energy sector, especially on the European and national levels. The course will centre on historical and prospective policy analysis of energy policy instruments, drawing on concepts, theories and evaluation frameworks from various disciplines, including political science and environmental, behavioural and evolutionary economics. We will go far beyond the conventional description of ”climate policy” as global treaties and carbon pricing, and look at the broad set of policy instruments that affect the chances to decarbonise energy, with a focus on the European context. In this course, we will

-          investigate different types of energy policy instruments, their theoretical roots and expected behaviour;

-          analyse the actual performance of these instruments through case studies of both successful and failed cases, in order to understand how instrument design affects success chances, but also how instruments differ in both scope and aim;

-          learn how instruments interact in a policy mix, each performing a specific task and contributing to a successful energy transition;

-          create policy solutions to take us from today’s fossil-based system to a carbon-neutral energy future in Europe.

 

Learning objectives

Students understand the breadth of the climate and energy policy field, the diversity of instruments, and know how the main instrument types work and interact. They are able to identify a policy and allocate it to the appropriate discourse and theoretical roots. Students are able to evaluate whether a policy is likely to achieve its aims, informed by knowledge of the functioning, efficiency and effectiveness of similar policies elsewhere or in the past, and can suggest alternative or complementing policies for achieving a particular energy policy goal. Students are able to generalise and combine knowledge about the barriers to decarbonisation in various energy sectors and the barriers addressed by specific policy instruments as applied in cases discussed in class, in order to create own suggestions for decarbonisation of any energy sector or geographic context.

Course outline

The course will be meeting every two weeks, for four hours. This structure of 2x2 hour sessions allows us to submerge ourselves in each topic and drill deep to the core of climate and energy policy instruments at different levels, focusing on different aspects of the energy transition challenge in Europe. Each session will be split between input by students and discussions/group work.

In every session (classes 2-6), we focus on a particular type of instrument, both investigating its theoretical roots and how it has played out in practice illustrated by case studies for a particular energy sector. We will then explore and generalise lessons learned from practice, and seek to apply these lessons to develop policy proposals for other energy sectors and/or contexts. In the last session, we will pull it all together and create policy proposals for decarbonisation of a European country, based on the goals expressed in its National Energy and Climate Plan (country to be defined as the Plans are published in June 2020).

There will be substantial reading required in preparation of each class, consisting both of academic literature and of primary policy texts. A book (M. Grubb: Planetary Economics) will accompany us throughout the semester.

Students presenting will need to go beyond the mandatory reading, especially regarding the case studies. Each student will contribute a presentation (< 20 min) on either the underlying theory or a case study. These presentations will also be the foundation of each session, together with the mandatory reading for the day. Hence, students presenting must coordinate their presentations, to avoid repetition and ensure that key messages are made clear. To this end, the lecturer and the group of students presenting will meet well before each class to plan the set of presentations, and to help finding relevant literature for the preparations. Each student will receive an individual grade and feedback for the presentation, but that grade will also consist (25%) of the performance of the group of presentations of each session as a whole.

Students requiring a pass/fail grade must only do the presentation. Students who want to do the module examination or require a grade for the course must additionally write a semester thesis. That semester thesis will contribute 2/3 of the final grade, with the other 1/3 being the presentation grade.

Any student allowed to enrol in the respective modules can take part in the course. Having attended the Climate and Energy Transition Policy seminar (WS19/20) will be beneficial but is not necessary participating in this course. Conversely, this course will be a good preparation for the Climate and Energy Transition Policy seminar (scheduled to reoccur in WS20/21).

Course outline (subject to updates, esp. regarding the cases)

 

Date

 

1

 

Introduction

What will we do in this class – how and why?

Step into the world of energy policy, theoretical basics and policy evaluation criteria

2

 

Paying for emissions

Carbon pricing: cap and trade systems, carbon taxes. Theory and carbon pricing experiences from the EU, Scandinavia, the UK, and the Kyoto protocol.

3

 

Bridging the technological valley of death

Market introduction instruments. Theory and cases for renewable electricity support in Germany, Sweden/Norway, the UK.

4

 

Sticks and carrots

Standards and subsidies. Theory and cases from energy efficiency policies in Europe, including the Building Directive, Ecodesign, national renovation policies.

5

 

Command and control

Phase-out policies. Theory and cases from nuclear, petroleum car and coal phase-out policies in France, Spain, Germany, Sweden.

6

 

Breaking and reshaping the regime

Infrastructure policies. Theory and cases from bike system and city reconfiguration in the Netherlands, Denmark and Berlin, and for electric cars infrastructure in Norway, the Netherlands and Germany.

7

 

Pulling it all together

Applying our knowledge to the National Energy and Climate Plan of a European country: what should this country do now in order to reach its goals? [case still to be determined]

Literatur

Readings

Books (as preparation for sessions, according to the reading list):

-          Michael Grubb (2014): Planetary Economics, Routledge.

Articles, reports, etc. (required as preparation for sessions)

-          Reading list will be provided when the semester starts.

Articles, reports etc. for students presenting:

-          An initial set of suggested readings will be recommended, but students will need to do their own research of both the theory and empirics of the case studies.

 

Bemerkung

Der Kurs wird 14-tägig angeboten, mit jeweils 4 Stunden alle zwei Wochen. Die Einführungsveranstaltung am 24.04. findet über Zoom statt.

Zielgruppe

This seminar is suited for social science students interested in the energy and climate policy field. Having attended the Climate and Energy Transition Policy seminar (WS19/20) will be beneficial but is not necessary participating in this course. Conversely, this course will be a good preparation for the Climate and Energy Transition Policy seminar (scheduled to reoccur in WS20/21).


Strukturbaum
Keine Einordnung ins Vorlesungsverzeichnis vorhanden. Veranstaltung ist aus dem Semester SoSe 2020 , Aktuelles Semester: SoSe 2024