- 1. IDENTIFYING AND COMPARING THEIMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT
ASSUMPTIONSABOUT ENERGY DEMAND IN BRITISH POLICYDOCUMENTS - A
CRITICAL REVIEWAntonio Ferreira University of LeedsRichard Francis
Hanna University of ReadingGreg Marsden University of LeedsJacopo
Torriti University of ReadingDr Antonio FerreiraEmail:
[email protected] Fellow in Governance and Transport
PoliciesInstitute for Transport StudiesUniversity of Leeds
2. THE PROBLEMS 3. THE PROBLEMS(SOME OF) THE PROBLEMS:Climate
change and extreme weather eventsBiodiversity collapseDepletion of
natural resources, particularly fossil fuelsFinancial crisis and
global competitionALL CONSTITUTE A THREAT TO A SOCIETY AS OURS
WHEREHIGH DEMAND FOR ENERGY AND RESOURCES IS SO CENTRAL 4. THE
PROBLEMSTWO APPROACHES TO ADDRESS THEM1. Make possible to maintain
high demand for energy andresources in adverse circumstances2.
Reducing demand for energy and resources by means ofdeep changes in
social practices (remit of DEMAND Centre)How are implicit and
explicit assumptions to be found inBritish policy documents likely
to determine what approachis adopted more strongly? 5. METHODOLOGY
6. COMMON ASSUMPTIONS / METHODOLOGYEMPIRICAL APPROACHConsider
substantially different policy areasIdentify policy documents of
significant relevance ()Perform in-depth analysis of selected
policy documentsIdentification of themes (implicit and explicit
assumptions)Literature reviewSynthesise themes into a
as-small-as-possible set of metathemes/assumptions that are common
to majority ofpolicies 7. COMMON ASSUMPTIONS / METHODOLOGYPolicy
area Policy document Authorship Last updateTransport andmobilityThe
strategic case for HS2 Department for Transport and High SpeedTwo
(HS2) Limited 29/Oct/2013Winter Resilience in Transport:An
Assessment of the case foradditional investmentDepartment for
Environment, Food & RuralAffairs and Department for Transport
andDepartment of Energy & Climate Change6/Dec/2011Cities
andtownsHelping people to buy a homeDepartment for Communities and
LocalGovernment, The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP,Minister of State for
Housing, HM Treasuryand Homes and Communities
Agency8/Oct/2013Improving high streets and towncentres (based on
The PortasReview)Department for Communities and LocalGovernment,
The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP,Brandon Lewis MP and Future High
StreetsForum29/Apr/2014Energy andclimatechangeThe future of
heating: astrategic framework for lowcarbon heatDepartment of
Energy & Climate Change 29/Mar/2012Increasing the use of
low-carbontechnologiesDepartment of Energy & Climate
Change,Department for Transport and
EnvironmentAgency24/Jun/2014Education andcultureGetting more people
playingsportDepartment for Culture, Media & Sport,Department
for Education, The Rt Hon SajidJavid MP, Minister for Sport &
Equalities andEdward Timpson MP10/Jan/2014Making the higher
educationsystem more efficient anddiverseDepartment for Business,
Innovation & Skillsand The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP 12/Dec/2012 8.
COMMON ASSUMPTIONS / METHODOLOGYIDENTIFIED
META-THEMES/ASSUMPTIONSAntagonism (explicit)Epochalist solutionism
(implicit)High demand as a necessity (implicit and explicit) 9.
COMPETITION AS ANTAGONISM(HUNGER GAMES) 10. COMPETITION AND
ANTAGONISM (HUNGER GAMES) 11. COMPETITION AND ANTAGONISM (HUNGER
GAMES) 12. COMPETITION AND ANTAGONISMThe Sainsburys School Games is
a national programme thataims to motivate and inspire millions of
young people acrossthe country to take part in more competitive
sport.Citation from Getting more people playing sport - The
SchoolGames 13. COMPETITION AND ANTAGONISMIs competition/antagonism
an effective concept to reducedemand for energy and
resources?QuestionableExotic holidays and Facebook
postingSports/high end cars and social positioningAll forms of
consumption for social positioningCorporate drive to compete /
maximise profitWeapon / war industry to secure inequalities 14.
EPOCHALISM 15. EPOCHALISMTimePasteventPasteventPasteventPastevent
NowTimePasteventPasteventPasteventPasteventNowMorozov (2013) To
Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological
Solutionism.PubblicAffairs Books, NY 16. EPOCHALISMThe days of a
high street populated simply by independentbutchers, bakers and
candlestick makers are, except in themost exceptional
circumstances, over. How we shop as anation has quite simply
changed beyond recognition.Forever.Extract from The Portas
Independent Review which hasinformed the Improving high streets and
town centres policy 17. SOLUTIONISM 18. SOLUTIONISMCONTEXTFocus
onunderstandingroots ofproblemsFocus on howto solveproblemsMorozov
(2013) To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological
Solutionism.PubblicAffairs Books,
NYTimePasteventPasteventPasteventPasteventNowFascinationwithinnovations(solutions?)
19. ANTAGONIST-EPOCHALIST SOLUTIONISMandHIGH DEMAND AS A NECESSITY
20. ANTAGONIST EPOCHALIST SOLUTIONISM and DEMANDANTAGONISM: The new
north-south railway is one of the mostpotentially beneficial, but
also challenging infrastructureprojects on the planet. In terms of
ambition it stands alongsideanything we have ever done as a nation;
and is a step towardsmaking Britain the best-connected island in
the world.EPOCHALIST SOLUTIONISM: If Britain is to prosper in
thefuture, we must invest now [in HS2].NECESSITY OF HIGH DEMAND:
The evidence shows thateconomic growth and demand for transport go
hand in hand.() The existing capacity of our transport networks is
asignificant inhibitor of demand [and therefore an inhibitor
ofgrowth]Extracts from The strategic case for HS2 21.
CONCLUSION:CAN WE EXPECT DEMAND TODECREASE
WHEN:ANTAGONISMEPOCHALIST SOLUTIONISMARE META-THEMES IN
POLICYMAKING? 22. QuestionableAntagonism and epochalist solutionism
canactually be used as devices to reduce demandfor energy and
resources(one can use a samurai sword to cut bread)Other devices
would probably do it so muchbetterE.g.: cooperation, addressing the
roots of theproblems, social practices-based approaches