Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

“We are not in this to save the polar bears!” : the link between community renewable energy development and ecological citizenship

Islar, Mine LU and Busch, Henner LU orcid (2016) In Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research 29(3). p.303-319
Abstract
The transition from a fossil fuel-based energy system to a renewable one has emerged as a priority for many governments. This, in turn, has facilitated a rapid increase in renewable energy investments. However, this development raises important questions about the sustainability of energy governance when it comes to access and control of energy, public participation and transparency. In this article, decentralized renewable energy production is presented as one of the pathways towards more participation in sustainable energy development. Community renewable energy projects help to enable communities to act as citizens, rather than consumers. In this article, we aim to understand the interactions between community renewable energy... (More)
The transition from a fossil fuel-based energy system to a renewable one has emerged as a priority for many governments. This, in turn, has facilitated a rapid increase in renewable energy investments. However, this development raises important questions about the sustainability of energy governance when it comes to access and control of energy, public participation and transparency. In this article, decentralized renewable energy production is presented as one of the pathways towards more participation in sustainable energy development. Community renewable energy projects help to enable communities to act as citizens, rather than consumers. In this article, we aim to understand the interactions between community renewable energy transition and collective practices of citizenship. We investigate collective practices in energy development within the ecological citizenship framework by addressing the extent to which each community’s energy project displays the characteristics of ecological citizenship, in terms of how their collectivity is organized, articulated and shaped the future goals and vision. Based on the empirical data collected in Feldheim (Germany) and Samsø (Denmark), we find out that when collectivity is embedded in community renewable energy development, it resonates with the particularities of communitarian ecological citizenship that has a local focus rather than a political focus, and primarily prioritizes the cohesiveness and interests of the community (i.e. economic development) rather than the global commitment to sustainability discourses (i.e. climate change). This article also raises questions about the importance of intentionality in bringing about ecological outcomes of renewable energy transitions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ecological citizenship, energy commons, local renewable energy, communal energy, energy transition, collective identity, Samsø, Feldheim
in
Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research
volume
29
issue
3
pages
17 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:84973094076
  • wos:000382368800006
ISSN
1351-1610
DOI
10.1080/13511610.2016.1188684
project
Ecological citizen and right to the city movements in Europe
Energy Islands: Of People, Power, Polar Bears
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fb69d9ee-87b3-429d-9c64-015798351037
date added to LUP
2016-06-02 17:52:40
date last changed
2022-04-24 07:55:43
@article{fb69d9ee-87b3-429d-9c64-015798351037,
  abstract     = {{The transition from a fossil fuel-based energy system to a renewable one has emerged as a priority for many governments. This, in turn, has facilitated a rapid increase in renewable energy investments. However, this development raises important questions about the sustainability of energy governance when it comes to access and control of energy, public participation and transparency. In this article, decentralized renewable energy production is presented as one of the pathways towards more participation in sustainable energy development. Community renewable energy projects help to enable communities to act as citizens, rather than consumers. In this article, we aim to understand the interactions between community renewable energy transition and collective practices of citizenship. We investigate collective practices in energy development within the ecological citizenship framework by addressing the extent to which each community’s energy project displays the characteristics of ecological citizenship, in terms of how their collectivity is organized, articulated and shaped the future goals and vision. Based on the empirical data collected in Feldheim (Germany) and Samsø (Denmark), we find out that when collectivity is embedded in community renewable energy development, it resonates with the particularities of communitarian ecological citizenship that has a local focus rather than a political focus, and primarily prioritizes the cohesiveness and interests of the community (i.e. economic development) rather than the global commitment to sustainability discourses (i.e. climate change). This article also raises questions about the importance of intentionality in bringing about ecological outcomes of renewable energy transitions.}},
  author       = {{Islar, Mine and Busch, Henner}},
  issn         = {{1351-1610}},
  keywords     = {{ecological citizenship; energy commons; local renewable energy; communal energy; energy transition; collective identity; Samsø; Feldheim}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{303--319}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research}},
  title        = {{“We are not in this to save the polar bears!” : the link between community renewable energy development and ecological citizenship}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2016.1188684}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13511610.2016.1188684}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}