Using qualitative social science to investigate the desirability of decarbonisation pathways: evidence from the FLEXIS project

Using qualitative social science to investigate the desirability of decarbonisation pathways: evidence from the FLEXIS project

Prof Karen Henwood, Cardiff University
Dr Christopher Groves, Cardiff University
Dr Fiona Shirani, Cardiff University
Prof Nick Pidgeon,  Cardiff University

Overview

Decarbonisation of energy systems is an urgent global social goal, to which technological innovation to address the need for flexible energy systems will make a major contribution. In addition, though, innovation in energy system governance and models of ownership is required to support transition from a centralised ‘one-to-many’ system to one in which ‘many-to-many’ production and distribution, based on distributed renewable energy generation, will play an increasing role.  Anticipating and understanding the broader societal impacts of such a broad programme of ‘socio-technical’ innovation is also therefore a priority. This contribution from social scientists, based at Cardiff University and working alongside engineers as part of the multi-institution FLEXIS project in South Wales explores how qualitative social science research can contribute to this goal.

Relevance

The research addresses directly questions about the broader potential impacts of decarbonisation for present as well as future generations in an original fashion, distinct from standard approaches to intergenerational distributive impacts in e.g. welfare economics. It focuses on detailed explorations of how everyday energy-using practices change across the lifecourse and the implications of such changes for energy system change, together with the ethical implications of decarbonisation, including its impact on energy poverty and how it may affect key capabilities for vulnerable groups. It also explore creative ways to engage publics with decarbonisation trajectories to promote citizen participation in energy system change.

Methodology

Three work packages represent an integrated methodology using qualitative methods to investigate expert and lay expectations surrounding the potential future impacts of decarbonisation in Wales. In 2016-17, expert interviews were carried out with FLEXIS engineering researchers and key stakeholders Three rounds of longitudinal interviews in Caerau, South Wales were carried out in 2017-2020 to investigate experiences of energy challenges and expectations about new energy technologies. Five community workshops in Port Talbot, South Wales were undertaken in 2019 to explore community responses to four decarbonisation scenarios developed from the earlier expert interviews, and to relate potential future changes to community narratives about the past and present.

Results: Key and ancillary findings

Whole energy system change may develop in ways that promote the localisation of energy systems for power and heat in ways which exhibit a great deal of heterogeneity across the UK. A range of solutions responsive to local social and geographical conditions may be developed in different places. Understanding interactions between social conditions in general and the energy system will help explore how decarbonisation at the system level can be pursued in socially as well as environmentally desirable ways. For example, vulnerability to energy challenges in deprived communities represents a key challenge for decarbonisation. Technological change may leave unaddressed or at worst exacerbate multiple deprivation, unless demonstrator projects are developed with due attention being paid to how they may intersect and interact over time with broader socio-economic trajectories within specific localities.

The importance of place is also underlined by analysis of responses from community workshop participants, which show how understandings of a locality’s history shape expectations about socio-technical change and highlight potentially overlooked and unequally distributed benefits as well as disbenefits of decarbonisation. In particular, an understanding of how dynamics of trust and distrust in local private and public institutions have developed in demonstrator host communities can bring into focus potential challenges for experiments with energy governance and help shape alternative models.

Conclusions

Qualitative social research that investigates everyday experience of energy challenges and community knowledge of place has an important role in contributing to understanding potential impacts of decarbonisation pathways and their wider implications for intergenerational dynamics of change. While much energy futures research focuses on system level dynamics, paying detailed attention to everyday experience and place has also contributed in more depth and detail to investigating the desirability of particular socio-technical pathways for energy system change. Such research underpins ongoing work with international colleagues to develop a responsible research and innovation framework to inform energy technology research and social technology assessment, and to support energy policy both within UK government and within the devolved administrations.

Keyword set

Decarbonisation, energy futures, place, responsible research and innovation, social technology assessment.