Analysis on the Dynamic Evolution of Bioenergy Industry in the Yangtze River Delta Based on Multilevel Social Network Theory

Jingan Zhu, Yalun Li, Ping Jiang, Biao Hu and Liang Emlyn Yang
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Jingan Zhu: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
Yalun Li: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
Ping Jiang: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
Biao Hu: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
Liang Emlyn Yang: Department of Geography, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), 80333 München, Germany

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-21

Abstract: This paper aims to explore the evolution of bioenergy from a comprehensive and dynamic perspective and study how stakeholders in the industry exert influence during the development. Taking the development of bioenergy in the Yangtze River Delta as an example, the research builds a dynamic network of bioenergy stakeholders from a social network analysis method. This paper selects six typical cities and six stakeholder groups in the Yangtze River Delta to conduct field surveys and interviews. This study integrates social network analysis with multilevel perspective theory to analyse the evolution of bioenergy from a dynamic perspective. The results show that the relationship among the stakeholders is a network based on central stakeholders involved in the material flow and is affected by multiple peripheral stakeholders. Through the analysis of the dynamic evolution relationship between stakeholders, this paper reveals the existing problems during the development of bioenergy in the Yangtze River Delta. The research results also show that the development of bioenergy has the following characteristics: (i) It is initiated by technological development during the energy transition period; (ii) It is led by policy formulation; (iii) It has evolved with the development of material flow, marketing, infrastructure, and social awareness.

Keywords: bioenergy; social network analysis; multilevel perspective; energy transition; Yangtze River Delta (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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