Local Authorities and Sustainable Energy Innovations, 2016-2019

This project analysed local authorities in the UK in order to ascertain what capacities they have to engage in sustainable energy, and how these relate to a range of social, political and material contexts. This is a fast-moving landscape as local authorities increase their ambitions in relation to emissions reduction and try to match them with a wider range of local priorities. The main focus of the project is on understanding the relationships between local capacity to act, in five leading local authorities, and energy system decentralisation and varying types of relationship with national government. This information was built up through a process of documentary analysis, 48 extended semi-structured interviews with those most involved at the local authority level, two placements, and two knowledge exchange workshops. The project concludes that re-shaping local-national political relationships can open up opportunities for action at the local level, whilst renewable energy decentralisation has opened up opportunities for local energy transitions but also for new revenue streams for local authorities. It also concluded that greater co-ordination between: local authorities, and between local authorities and national government bodies is required to improve opportunities for other local authorities to act.

本项目针对英国地方当局展开系统性分析，旨在查明其参与可持续能源事务的能力水平，以及该能力与各类社会、政治及物质语境之间的关联。当前地方当局在减排领域的目标持续提升，并试图将减排目标与更广泛的地方优先事项相契合，该领域正处于快速变迁的发展格局之中。本项目的核心研究方向为：探究五个领先地方当局的本地行动能力，与能源系统去中心化以及其与中央政府的多元互动关系之间的内在关联。本研究的相关数据与结论通过以下途径积累形成：文献分析、对地方当局层面核心参与人员开展的48次半结构化深度访谈、两次实地调研驻点，以及两次知识交流研讨会。本项目得出如下结论：重塑地方与中央的政治关系能够为地方层面的行动创造契机；而可再生能源去中心化不仅为本地能源转型提供了发展空间，也为地方当局开辟了新的收入来源。研究同时指出，需进一步加强地方当局之间以及地方当局与中央政府机构之间的协调配合，以提升其他地方当局开展相关行动的机会。