Petersen, L.K. & Andersen, A.H. 2009: Socio-cultural barriers to the development of a sustainable energy system – the case of hydrogen. National Environmental Research Institute, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Aarhus</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> . 34 pp. – Research Notes from NERI No. 248.
The aim of these research notes is to review and discuss major socio-cultural barriers to new and more sustainable forms of energy supply, particularly to those that are based on hydrogen as energy carrier. Any transition to a more sustainable energy system, radically reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is bound to run into a host of different barriers – technological and economic, but also social and cultural. This will also be the case for a large-scale application of hydrogen as energy carrier, especially if the system is going to be based on renewable energy sources. Reaching sufficient reductions in greenhouse gas emissions may require more than dissemination of new energy technologies. Also reductions or moderations in energy demand may be necessary. Hence, a central point in the research notes is to consider not only socio-cultural obstacles for changing technologies in energy production, distribution and consumption but also obstacles for changing the scale of energy consumption, i.e. moderating the growth in how much energy is consumed or even reducing consumption volumes.
The concept of socio-technical systems is central in understanding the significance of socio-cultural factors in technological transition. Everyday routines and habits, aesthetic preferences and locked-in logics of consumption and mobility are important features of and may constitute significant barriers to changes in technological systems such as our predominantly fossil fuel based energy system. These issues are further discussed in relation to transport and mobility as well as household and equipment.
The conclusion is that barriers to change may be comparatively small as long as transition to a more sustainable energy system seeks to emulate existing practices and properties of current technologies, for instance in terms of speed and range of vehicles, but reductions in CO2-emissions will also be insufficient. More radical changes that address the level of consumption will meet more substantial obstacles that touch upon basic elements in the dynamics of consumption, household and economic development. Overcoming these more serious obstacles is not unfeasible, but it will require more ambitious technological development combined with changes in the architecture of the energy system and changes in social practices – which will require political-administrative funding, investment and regulation.
Full report in pdf format (623 kB)
