The Politics of Decarbonization: A Framework and Method

52 Pages Posted: 17 Jun 2015

See all articles by Steven Bernstein

Steven Bernstein

University of Toronto - Department of Political Science

Matthew Hoffmann

University of Toronto - Department of Political Science

Date Written: May 15, 2015

Abstract

Decarbonization, the process of shifting away from carbon-based energy systems and the institutional and governance arrangements that support them, is arguably the grandest challenge of our time. Despite the importance of politics to such a transformation, political scientists have so far ceded the study of decarbonization to economists and socio-technical transition scholars. We develop a distinctly political theoretical framework to research decarbonization that responds to lacunae in those literatures. It reconceptualizes the problem as a fractal phenomenon – or self-similar at multiple scales – since carbon-dependency reflects similar overlapping political, economic, technological, and cultural forces across political jurisdictions, market sectors and practices of individuals and communities. The framework identifies political mechanisms – normalization, capacity building, and coalition building – that contribute to the scaling and entrenchment of discrete decarbonization initiatives within or across jurisdictions, markets, and practices. It also proposes a method to track whether these interventions reinforce current trajectories, lead to improvements but not transformation, or contribute to a decarbonization trajectory. Two illustrative cases demonstrate how to apply the framework and its utility.

Keywords: Decarbonization, Climate Change Politics, Governance

Suggested Citation

Bernstein, Steven and Hoffmann, Matthew, The Politics of Decarbonization: A Framework and Method (May 15, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2619322 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2619322

Steven Bernstein

University of Toronto - Department of Political Science ( email )

Sidney Smith Hall
100 St George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3
Canada

Matthew Hoffmann (Contact Author)

University of Toronto - Department of Political Science ( email )

Sidney Smith Hall
100 St George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3
Canada

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