Neologisms such as the 'Energy Citizen' and Climate Change Policy Discourse: Where to Now?

Introduction The energy landscape in Ireland is being transformed and government policy is geared towards substantially decarbonising the electricity system by 2050. As large-scale renewable energy technologies become more... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction

The energy landscape in Ireland is being transformed and government policy is geared towards substantially decarbonising the electricity system by 2050. As large-scale renewable energy technologies become more geographically dispersed, there is a higher probability of public-technology interaction, and increasing social acceptance challenges.

To date, onshore wind energy has dominated public discourse and the renewable energy landscape in Ireland. This multi-technology study was conducted to explore social acceptance of renewable energy, within the context of a broader transition to a more sustainable electricity system. The energy policy debate needs to move beyond wind. A successful energy transition will require not only the implementation of multiple technological solutions, but a new social paradigm.

The Challenge

The implementation of large scale renewable energy generation remains a key policy objective. In the future, Ireland’s energy system could be completely transformed to a renewable based system. The scale of the transformation presents challenges in terms of policy, technology and social acceptance. Current discourse indicates that attitudes towards renewable energy, particularly onshore wind, are deteriorating. Consequently, the continued deployment of large renewable energy within communities throughout Ireland must overcome significant challenges from a social perspective.

“Every citizen has a role to play in the energy transition”[1]. Neologisms such as the ‘energy citizen’ have been introduced into policy discourse, but what does that mean in practice?

This research examines attitudes towards energy and climate change in Ireland and investigates the significance of the ‘energy citizen’ neologism from a citizen perspective. What is an ‘energy citizen’?

Methodology

For the purposes of this study, an exploratory concurrent mixed methods research design has been utilised. A number of themes emerged and this research aims to provide fresh insight by combining three distinct strands of primary research - qualitative research, quantitative research and social media research. Combining different research streams brings a multi-dimensional perspective to this research. A series of seven semi-structured interviews with multi-disciplinary energy professionals explored contemporary social issues, from a developer, utility and community perspective. Quantitative research included a bespoke online survey with data obtained from 455 participants from a range of adult Irish citizens. The survey examined attitudes, opinions and behaviours relating to climate change, renewable energy and citizen engagement. Social media research gauged public discourse through the lens of the microblogging site Twitter®. The purpose of this aspect of the study was to monitor discourse across the social media platform. The main aim being to identify organic trends in opinion, sentiment, demographics and opinions. Wind energy is the most widely developed and contentious form of renewable energy in Ireland. On that basis, the researcher narrowed the scope of the social media research to focus on wind energy specifically. Social media analytics provides valuable insight into the opinions and attitudes of people that are already proactively engaging on energy matters. This comprehensive three-pronged study provides a plethora of new primary findings for consideration, just a few are presented below.

Findings

Renewable Energy Attitudes

In the context of social acceptance, the main findings emerging from the quantitative research reveal overwhelming support for renewable energy. 75% of participants agree with the notion of hosting a large scale renewable energy development in their community. There also appears to be a growing appetite for investing in renewable energy; over 52% of participants would be interested in investing in a renewable energy development. A comparative study carried out in 2003 indicated much lower interest at the time[2]. This current study also demonstrates strong support for all renewable energy technologies examined, with 90% of respondents claiming to support solar and 74.5% of respondents supporting onshore wind. Other technologies examined include Wave and Tidal (80%), Off-shore Wind (79.5%), Renewable Gas (73.5%), Biomass (69%).

In contrast, qualitative findings emphasise the significant social challenges that must be overcome at a community level during the planning and delivery of a large scale renewable project, particularly onshore wind.  Social media research indicates that community based opposition groups appear to be effectively leveraging social media to escalate local concerns, and are prominent contributors to renewable energy discourse on the social media platform Twitter®. This study reiterates a familiar dichotomy; public acceptance of renewable energy at a socio-political level contrasts with social opposition in a local context.

While participants are broadly supportive of renewable energy, they appear disinterested and not at all engaged in energy and climate change matters. Only 35% of participants consider themselves to have above average knowledge on the topic. There is little evidence of any strategic initiative by government or industry that captures the interest of the citizen.  Encouragingly, interviews with industry leaders found a strong appetite for increased cross-industry collaboration to inform public opinion. Quantitative research also reveals an acceptance by participants that, as citizens, we all have a greater role to play in fighting climate change.

The ‘Energy Citizen’ Neologism

An open-ended survey question gave participants the opportunity to put forward their thoughts on what the ‘energy citizen’ represents. Content analysis reveals the words most commonly associated with an ‘energy citizen’ include, green, sustainable, aware, conscious and responsible. Quantitative research finds that over 70% of survey respondents react positively to the concept of the ‘energy citizen’ in the context of energy policy discourse.

Encouragingly from a policy perspective, almost 90% of participants agree that “as citizens we must do more to combat climate change”. Unfortunately, this realisation is not reflected in individual behaviours. Sourcing ‘green’ energy is not a priority for participants when choosing an electricity supplier, and less than 20% of respondents have renewable energy sources in the home. The qualitative aspect of this study provided an opportunity to explore the concept of the ‘energy citizen’ in-depth, with a view to bringing a significance to the concept in a practical sense. It is notable that most interview participants provided very little insight on the ‘energy citizen’, signalling a lack of recognition for the term within industry.

Some Recommendations

It is not an objective of this research to define a roadmap for the future of renewable energy in Ireland. The number of possible future energy scenarios is infinite. This research does, however, aim to understand public attitudes and opinions, to further our understanding of social acceptance of the renewable energy technologies that the energy transition demands. A common thread throughout indicates a failure to effectively engage the citizen on energy and climate change. The need for enhanced communication and greater citizen engagement were common themes emerging from this study.    

A critical success factor for any communication initiative is the trustworthiness of the source of the information. This research indicates that trust in the government is low, compared to other industry stakeholders. As a result, it is recommended that any initiative aimed at engaging the citizen, although supported by government, must be spearheaded by other organisations who rank higher in terms of trust. This study finds that over 80% of survey respondents are likely to trust “Researchers and Academics”.

• This study recommends the implementation of a national communication strategy. The goal of the communication strategy being to raise awareness with regard to climate change and the role that renewable energy plays in mitigating its negative impacts, as well as what this means for the citizen. This citizen centric campaign should focus on identifying and embedding the core values associated with an energy citizen, such as those identified in this empirical research: Sustainable, Responsible, Aware.   
• National communication initiatives must be supplemented by targeted initiatives aimed at communities and individuals, to encourage sustainable behaviour. The behaviour of an energy citizen should align with the core values under a central theme of empowered citizenship.  If the ‘energy citizen’ is to become more than an empty signifier, the term needs clarity of purpose and a definitive explanation of how an ‘energy citizen’ behaves. This requires a clear call to action for the public, demonstrating why this behaviour change brings value to the everyday lives of people.

Conclusion

The energy landscape in Ireland is undoubtedly facing a significant transformation. Energy policy is geared toward substantially decarbonising the Irish economy, and accelerating the development of renewable energy to mitigate the effects of climate change. The social challenges associated with such a transformation are significant. While most participants in this new research are broadly supportive of renewable energy, they appear disinterested and disengaged. The drastic nature of the energy transition requires a new, citizen centric paradigm.

This research crystallises the importance of understanding public perception, to further social acceptance of renewable energy.  Simply designing a socio-economic policy incentive may not be sufficient. Innovative alternatives are needed to facilitate active citizen engagement and overcome the current inertia. From a policy perspective, the broadly positive sentiment towards the ‘energy citizen’ is encouraging. The challenge now is for the Irish government to make it relevant for citizens to allow them to embrace the concept.

[1] Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) 2015. Ireland’s Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future; 2015 – 2030.

[2] Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) 2003. Attitudes towards the development of wind farms in Ireland.