Socio-political dynamics in clean energy transition

Saverio Perri, Simon Levin, Sara Cerasoli, Amilcare Porporato

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

A rapid and effective transition to low-carbon energy production is essential to limit climate change impacts. While the scientific community has mostly focused on research and development and techno-economic aspects, quantifying the role of public acceptability and policy in shaping emission trajectories has been much more elusive. This study investigates the coupled dynamics of nonlinear socio-political acceptance and anthropogenic CO2 emissions, with implications for climate policies and clean energy investments. Our findings show that a top-down policy approach alone may not be sufficient for effective emission cuts, highlighting the need for a multi-level strategy that combines top-down and bottom-up approaches. Additionally, opinion polarization can trigger detrimental CO2 emission oscillations when governments decide to take heavy-handed policy interventions in highly polarized socio-political systems. Delayed perception of climate change damage or abrupt reactions to extreme weather events may also significantly affect emission reduction efforts, although in the opposite direction. Integrating these socio-political dynamics into climate models can enhance our understanding of the complex interplay between human and natural systems, enabling the development of more effective and resilient mitigation strategies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number074017
JournalEnvironmental Research Letters
Volume19
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • General Environmental Science
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Keywords

  • climate change
  • coupled human-natural systems
  • emission cuts
  • opinion dynamics
  • socio-political feedback

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