The Road Not Taken? The Role of Behaviour in the Energy Transition : Introducing the Targeted and Tangential Framework for Energy Policy

Albert Einstein believed “we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” This quote is particularly relevant for the upcoming energy transition, which will require supply side and demand side changes. On the demand side, a categorized approach has historically been towards individual energy use. Instead of thinking about multiple behaviours widely, current policies tend to examine individual behaviours deeply - focusing on electricity use, gas use, or travel in isolation instead of examining them simultaneously. For this reason, this book explores if and how an intervention aimed at one energy behaviour may influence or have untargeted effects on other energy behaviours. By examining household energy and travel simultaneously as well as the importance of social networks, these interdisciplinary findings lead to the development of a novel contribution, known as the targeted and tangential framework. Relevance of this framework to policy and strategy is provided. Future research areas are identified and implications to the upcoming energy transition are discussed. Read more