Breaking the lock: A comparative political economic examination of institutional lock-in

Project Description

Ambitious reduction in carbon emissions will be required to avoid the worst of climate change – in Ireland and elsewhere. However, technologies, behaviours and institutions interact to limit the transition through a process known as carbon lock-in. This sees initial conditions, and a coevolution of economic incentives alongside social and individual dynamics act to inhibit take up of low carbon alternatives. Thus, the mere presence of a low carbon technology does not imply that it will be deployed. Institutions are critical to this process shaping rules and norms which influence political economic actors. Power generation and transport are major contributors to emissions in Ireland and major inputs into other activities. Addressing carbon lock-in in these sectors will be crucial. This project will examine the evolution of institutions in these sectors, tracking policy changes and the political contests generating them which have shaped present emissions performance. A comparative political economy analysis will be used to compare this experience to the evolution of the same systems in Sweden and Belgium. These countries display distinct institutional set ups and divergent performance where emissions are concerned. The analysis will also present a theoretical framework to understand carbon lock-in processes as they relate to institutions in the sector and beyond. A historical approach will also reveal how key junctures and choices brought us to where we are. Crucially, the research will build on the literature to demonstrate that, while history matters, it need not represent destiny. Ultimately, the research will culminate in a series of proposals to break carbon lock-in in these sectors in Ireland and in comparators where it occurs. The comparative analysis employed should reveal particular institutional features which make the shift away from carbon difficult as well as common features which affect progress to address climate change worldwide.