An agenda for future Social Sciences and Humanities research on energy efficiency: 100 priority research questions

Chris Foulds (), Sarah Royston, Thomas Berker, Efi Nakopoulou, Zareen Pervez Bharucha, Rosie Robison, Simone Abram, Branko Ančić, Stathis Arapostathis, Gabriel Badescu, Richard Bull, Jed Cohen, Tessa Dunlop, Niall Dunphy, Claire Dupont, Corinna Fischer, Kirsten Gram-Hanssen, Catherine Grandclément, Eva Heiskanen, Nicola Labanca, Maria Jeliazkova, Helge Jörgens, Margit Keller, Florian Kern, Patrizia Lombardi, Ruth Mourik, Michael Ornetzeder, Peter Pearson (), Harald Rohracher, Marlyne Sahakian, Ramazan Sari, Karina Standal and Lidija Živčič
Additional contact information
Chris Foulds: Anglia Ruskin University
Sarah Royston: Anglia Ruskin University
Thomas Berker: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Efi Nakopoulou: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Zareen Pervez Bharucha: Anglia Ruskin University
Rosie Robison: Anglia Ruskin University
Simone Abram: Durham University
Branko Ančić: Institute for Social Research in Zagreb
Stathis Arapostathis: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Gabriel Badescu: Babeş-Bolyai University of Cluj
Richard Bull: Nottingham Trent University
Jed Cohen: Salt River Project Integrated System Planning & Support
Tessa Dunlop: Directorate-General Joint Research Centre
Niall Dunphy: University College Cork
Claire Dupont: Ghent University
Corinna Fischer: Oeko-Institut e.V.
Kirsten Gram-Hanssen: Aalborg University Copenhagen
Catherine Grandclément: Électricité de France (EDF)
Eva Heiskanen: University of Helsinki
Nicola Labanca: Independent Researcher
Maria Jeliazkova: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Helge Jörgens: Iscte—Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
Margit Keller: University of Tartu
Florian Kern: Institute for Ecological Economy Research
Patrizia Lombardi: Politecnico di Torino
Ruth Mourik: DuneWorks
Michael Ornetzeder: Austrian Academy of Sciences
Harald Rohracher: Linköping University
Marlyne Sahakian: University of Geneva
Ramazan Sari: Technical University of Denmark
Karina Standal: CICERO—Center for International Climate Research
Lidija Živčič: Focus Association for Sustainable Development

Palgrave Communications, 2022, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Abstract Decades of techno-economic energy policymaking and research have meant evidence from the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)—including critical reflections on what changing a society’s relation to energy (efficiency) even means—have been underutilised. In particular, (i) the SSH have too often been sidelined and/or narrowly pigeonholed by policymakers, funders, and other decision-makers when driving research agendas, and (ii) the setting of SSH-focused research agendas has not historically embedded inclusive and deliberative processes. The aim of this paper is to address these gaps through the production of a research agenda outlining future SSH research priorities for energy efficiency. A Horizon Scanning exercise was run, which sought to identify 100 priority SSH questions for energy efficiency research. This exercise included 152 researchers with prior SSH expertise on energy efficiency, who together spanned 62 (sub-)disciplines of SSH, 23 countries, and a full range of career stages. The resultant questions were inductively clustered into seven themes as follows: (1) Citizenship, engagement and knowledge exchange in relation to energy efficiency; (2) Energy efficiency in relation to equity, justice, poverty and vulnerability; (3) Energy efficiency in relation to everyday life and practices of energy consumption and production; (4) Framing, defining and measuring energy efficiency; (5) Governance, policy and political issues around energy efficiency; (6) Roles of economic systems, supply chains and financial mechanisms in improving energy efficiency; and (7) The interactions, unintended consequences and rebound effects of energy efficiency interventions. Given the consistent centrality of energy efficiency in policy programmes, this paper highlights that well-developed SSH approaches are ready to be mobilised to contribute to the development, and/or to understand the implications, of energy efficiency measures and governance solutions. Implicitly, it also emphasises the heterogeneity of SSH policy evidence that can be produced. The agenda will be of use for both (1) those new to the energy-SSH field (including policyworkers), for learnings on the capabilities and capacities of energy-SSH, and (2) established energy-SSH researchers, for insights on the collectively held futures of energy-SSH research.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01243-z

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