title: Modelling socio-environmental sensitivities: how public responses to low carbon energy technologies could shape the UK energy system.
abstract: Low carbon energy technologies are not deployed in a social vacuum; there are a variety of complex ways in which people understand and engage with these technologies and the changing energy system overall. However, the role of the public's socio-environmental sensitivities to low carbon energy technologies and their responses to energy deployments does not receive much serious attention in planning decarbonisation pathways to 2050. Resistance to certain resources and technologies based on particular socio-environmental sensitivities would alter the portfolio of options available which could shape how the energy system achieves decarbonisation (the decarbonisation pathway) as well as affecting the cost and achievability of decarbonisation. Thus, this paper presents a series of three modelled scenarios which illustrate the way that a variety of socio-environmental sensitivities could impact the development of the energy system and the decarbonisation pathway. The scenarios represent risk aversion (DREAD) which avoids deployment of potentially unsafe large-scale technology, local protectionism (NIMBY) that constrains systems to their existing spatial footprint, and environmental awareness (ECO) where protection of natural resources is paramount. Very different solutions for all three sets of constraints are identified; some seem slightly implausible (DREAD) and all show increased cost (especially in ECO).
authors.affiliation: Institute for Energy Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JL, UK.
authors.forename: Brighid
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moran Jay
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Lancaster, Bailrigg LA1 4AP, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4494-7450
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College, 15 Prince's Gardens, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7022-4665
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Lancaster, Bailrigg LA1 4AP, UK.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8824-471X
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.affiliation: UCL Energy Institute, University College London, Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0NN, UK.
authors.forename: Gabrial
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7455-2540
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Anandarajah
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects; D058735:Environmental Policy; D005579:Fossil Fuels / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011210:Power Plants / Q000592:standards; D011639:Public Opinion; D012306:Risk; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D005579:Fossil Fuels; D002245:Carbon Dioxide