Department Environmental Social Sciences

Future Energy Policy: how to make change happen? Fostering the acceptance of alternative electricity supply

© Solange B 2013

The overarching question in this project is about how effective policy change towards renewable energy can be achieved. In this vein, we start with the idea that effective policy change leading to the realization of regional and local renewable energy projects can be determined by assessing different aspects of “social acceptance”. We argue that – besides technology acceptance by the market – the acceptance of policies and instrument mixes is a crucial pre-condition for project success. So we concentrate on the acceptance of policies and instrument mixes (e.g., regulatory and incentive measures) by (1) the political elite involved in energy policy decision-making (socio-political acceptance) and by (2) citizens as expressed through their vote or other political intervention (community acceptance).

Project team

Prof. Dr. Karin Ingold Group leader, Cluster: PEGO Tel. +41 58 765 5676 Send Mail

External team members

Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen, Universität Bern (Project lead)

Clau Dermont, Universität Bern

Philip Thalmann, EPFL

Stefan Rieder, Interface Politikstudien

Chantal Strotz, Interface Politikstudien

Related Publications

Markard, J.; Suter, M.; Ingold, K. (2016) Socio-technical transitions and policy change – advocacy coalitions in Swiss energy policy, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 18, 215-237, doi:10.1016/j.eist.2015.05.003, Institutional Repository