This study examines the transition to a sustainable energy system in Swedish society, by analysing research, policy and strategies related to the energy sector. The study applies an institutional approach informed by evolutionary governance theory as well as energy smart and communicative planning theory to analyse how the transition is portrayed on a Nordic, National and regional level. As the purpose is to understand the decision-making process behind the transition, the research design is qualitative and uses official and private documents as the main source of data. To analyse the material, the study applies a method developed by Healey (1993) and Khakee (2000) as a model to read texts as the product of a broad discourse. The results show that the transition towards a sustainable energy system is driven by institutional governance informed by increased European intervention. The Nordic countries, especially Sweden, have during the past decade established structures to become 100 per cent decarbonised and reliant on energy generated from renewable energy sources. Although the core ideology behind the transition is positive from a sustainable perspective, there are many technical challenges on a domestic and regional level that have not yet been solved.

This thesis explains the adoption of the Climate & Energy Package (2008), the Third Package (2009) and the Security of Gas Supply Regulation (2010). These three politically highly sensitive pieces of legislation are at the heart of the EU’s first-generation climate and energy policy which was established between 2007 and 2010. The climate & energy legislative files were adopted as an early agreement (EA), meaning via an informal compromise between the EU’s co-legislators (i.e. Council and Parliament) and after one rather than three possible readings. The adoption of these files under co-decision rules in such a short timeframe was remarkable as the bargaining process between the co-legislators was marked by collective action problems, disagreement over which set of rules to apply and had to be carried out under urgent circumstances caused by (inter)national events and/or regimes. This thesis applies a ‘thick’, rational choice institutionalism bargaining model in explaining the speed of the legislative decision-making process on the three pieces of legislation. Next to interests, this model incorporates ‘ideas’ meaning principles and norms found in EU primary and secondary legislation. In legislative decision-making, the EU puts a premium on the ability to provide convincing ideas or ‘focal points’ around which actors’ interests can converge and which promote common action. The cumulative message of the research conducted on the three files is that ideas served as instrumental tools in sustaining cooperation and cementing an acceptable compromise solution among a set of players with divergent interests.

Since the start of the 21st century, energy security concerns and rising international energy costs have led China to pursue the development of a coal to oil industry, whereby converting a portion of the nation's abundant coal reserves into gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel, China might be able to increase its domestic oil production and generate profits. But a large-scale coal to oil industry exerts added pressure on China's domestic coal reserves and water resources, and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. The tension between the potential benefits of coal to oil development and its associated negative externalities present a challenge for China's energy policymakers, who must balance competing demands for energy security, resource management, and equitable development. The challenge of effectively managing the development of this industry is complicated by the characteristic problems plaguing energy sector governance in China, including the absence of a powerful energy policymaking institution, the decentralized nature of the country's economic development, and the influence of large energy companies. This study examines the evolution of China's coal to oil industry and the policies shaping its development in order to better understand energy sector governance in China and the complex challenges confronting policymakers as they strive to balance an array of competing demands. It finds that weak energy institutions and powerful domestic actors indeed hinder China's ability to efficiently formulate energy policies for the coal to oil industry, while considerations about the industry's environmental and resource impacts compel a cautious approach to development. China's incremental approach to formulating a long-term plan for the development of the coal to oil industry may, in the end, yield more effective policies.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(エネルギー科学) / 甲第19087号 / エネ博第311号 / 新制||エネ||64(附属図書館) / 32038 / 京都大学大学院エネルギー科学研究科エネルギー社会・環境科学専攻 / (主査)教授 手塚 哲央, 教授 宇根﨑 博信, 准教授 MCLELLAN Benjamin / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Energy Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

The 1973 oil shock was the first energy crisis modern industrialized economies experienced. The disruption exposed the limitations of energy systems that rely on fossil fuels, creating a demand for experimentation of energy alternatives. In their book, Renewables: The Politics of a Global Energy Transition, Michaël Aklin, and Johannes Urpelainen provide a framework to analyze this transitionary period for selected countries, as well as the events that provoke the need for change in the form of the 1970s external shocks in oil prices. In this paper, for the first time, Aklin & Urpelainen's framework will be applied to Australia to help explain the "Australian Paradox." The Australian Paradox refers to the misalignment of Australia's climate change policy and exposure to climate change disruption. Though Australia is particularly vulnerable to climate change in several ways, the country is noted among rich industrialized nations for having done very little to promote alternative energies and reduce its carbon footprint. While the oil crises of the 1970s have catalyzed a search for alternative energy sources in some countries, it created a business opportunity for Australia in the form of expanding coal and gas exports, thereby further committing the country to carbon-cased energies. I conclude by reflecting on whether other forms of energy shocks could lead Australia into taking a more aggressive approach to climate change in the near future.

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This thesis examines two possible orders of combining multiple experts in elicitations with multiple de-composed events: Should experts be combined early or later in the decision process? This thesis is in conjunction with the paper (Baker & Olaleye, 2012) where we show that it is best to combine experts early as later combination leads to a systematic error. We conduct a simulation to more fully flesh out the theoretical model. We also conduct a theoretical analysis aimed at determining how significantly these two methods differ. We find that all results are in accordance with the theory but combining experts later might lead to less error in some cases due to randomness. We then conduct an empirical evaluation of the two methods using data from a previous study. We show that the experts exhibit some form of correlation. The impact of using the two methods of combining experts is then evaluated using an optimal R&D investment portfolio model. We find that the elicitation inputs have a significant effect on the outcome of the optimal portfolio and that there is an advantage from combining experts early.

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Yes / This paper looks into the issues around renewable energy with a view to identify the opportunities for Nigeria and critically review the nation’s renewable energy policy vis-`a-vis the efforts and achievement of governments and indigenous practitioners. It identified the inherent opportunities of renewable energy resources at ameliorating the incidents of climate change and global warming and also surveyed international statistics on the relationships between energy and renewable energy adoption, national development, population explosion, job creation and rural-urban integration. It found out that for Nigeria to sustain economic growth especially as it relates to agriculture and food security, renewable energy for power generation must be included in the nation’s rural development plan. It also demonstrated that renewable energy poses an opportunity for mitigating the nation’s contributions to anthropogenic climate change. / This work was supported by the British Academy Global Challenges Research Fund under Grant number GCRFNGR3\1541 and Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria.