People power in the A + B transition Peta Ashworth, Ma Linwei

Abstract

Over time there have been many examples of failed technology transfer, most often attribute to social opposition based around concerns of impacts on either individuals or the environment more broadly. The same holds true for energy technologies and yet we know in this A + B approach technologies are a central component of achieving a successful transition. Most of this will likely come from a top down approach of politicians, policy makers, industry and academia deciding on the best way forward. However to date, slow progress has shown that many are reluctant to commit the required resources for making the transition and the IPCC report “Global Warming of 1.5°C” highlights how far behind we are on achieving the required carbon mitigation. We suggest that alongside the technological developments it will be critical to acknowledge the role of people power. A bottom up approach to decision making and technological change. To do this we suggest building a global approach to energy literacy will be a critical component for closing the loop and creating action. This will put people at the center of the decision making for identifying the way forward but does so through a systems lens that takes into account the overall sustainability of the system, governance, market operations and the range of technologies and associated infrastructure. We aim to draw on a range of case studies from across China and Australia to illustrate how this might be achieved in practice.

Keywords values, climate action, energy technologies, systems, knowledge sharing