How to make climate policy more effective? The search for high leverage points by the multidisciplinary Dutch expert team ‘Energy System 2050’

Abstract

AbstractThe Netherlands aims to have a climate‐neutral society in 2050, for which a timely climate neutrality of the energy system is crucial. This is challenging as its geographical location with deep sea harbours and abundant low‐cost natural gas have led to a relatively high energy intensity of its economy as well as vast accumulation of fossil assets in industry. The energy system is strongly intertwined with other systems, and relevant knowledge is spread across scientific disciplines including finance, innovation, geography, governance, economics, and psychology. This is why the Dutch minister for Climate and Energy asked a team of experts from across all these disciplines for advice on how to achieve a climate‐neutral energy system. This study reports on the results of a participative modelling exercise with these experts that was organized to foster a shared understanding of the complexity of the Dutch energy system. The multidisciplinary approach identifies governance, fairness, and trust as high leverage points, and we propose policies that intervene in these variables. We contribute to the literature around climate policy by exhibiting the relevance of understanding the interrelations between the disciplines, leading to recommendations for climate policies that are more effective because they acknowledge and do justice to the interrelated nature of the energy system. Although other articles have proposed similar policies, our study is different because we suggest how the structure of the system can lead to tipping dynamics, thereby providing a new logic of why these policies deserve more attention.