Editing IPCC:AR6/WGIII/Chapter-6 (section)

==== 6.7.3.1 Societal and Institutional Inertia ====

<div id="h3-34-siblings" class="h3-siblings"></div>

A combination of factors – user, business, cultural, regulatory, and transnational – will hinder low-carbon energy transitions. Strong path dependencies, even in early formative stages, can have lasting impacts on energy systems, producing inertia that cuts across technological, economic, institutional and political dimensions ( ''high confidence'' ) ( [[#Rickards--2014|Rickards et al. 2014]] ; [[#Vadén--2019|Vadén et al. 2019]] ) (Chapter 5).

Energy systems exemplify the ways in which massive volumes of labour, capital, and effort become sunk into particular institutional configurations ( [[#Bridge--2013|Bridge et al. 2013]] , 2018). Several embedded factors affect large-scale transformation of these systems and make technological diffusion a complex process:

• '''User environments''' affect purchase activities and can involve the integration of new technologies into user practices and the development of new preferences, routines, habits and evenvalues ( [[#Kanger--2019|Kanger et al. 2019]] ).

'''•''' '''Business environments''' can shape the development of industries, business models, supply and distribution chains, instrument constituencies and repair facilities ( [[#Béland--2016|Béland and Howlett 2016]] ).

'''•''' '''Culture''' can encompass the articulation of positive discourses, narratives, and visions that enhance cultural legitimacy and societal acceptance of new technologies. Regulatory embedding can capture the variety of policies that shape production, markets and use of new technologies.

• '''Transnational community''' can reflect a shared understanding in a community of global experts related to new technologies that transcends the borders of a single place, often a country.

While low-carbon innovation involves systemic change ( [[#Geels--2018|Geels et al. 2018]] ), these are typically less popular than energy supply innovations among policymakers and the wider public. Managing low-carbon transitions is therefore not only a techno-managerial challenge (based on targets, policies, and expert knowledge), but also a broader political project that involves the building of support coalitions that include businesses and civil society ( ''moderate evidence'' , ''high agreement'' ).

Low-carbon transitions involve cultural changes extending beyond purely technical developments to include changes in consumer practices, business models, and organisational arrangements. The development and adoption of low-carbon innovations will therefore require sustained and effective policies to create appropriate incentives and support. The implementation of such policies entails political struggles because actors have different understandings and interests, giving rise to disagreements and conflicts.

Such innovation also involves pervasive uncertainty around technical potential, cost, consumer demand, and social acceptance. Such uncertainty carries governance challenges. Policy approaches facing deep uncertainty must protect against and/or prepare for unforeseeable developments, whether it is through resistance (planning for the worst possible case or future situation), resilience (making sure you can recover quickly), or adaptation (changes to policy under changing conditions). Such uncertainty can be hedged in part by learning by firms, consumers, and policymakers. Social interactions and network building (e.g., supply and distribution chains, intermediary actors) and the articulation of positive visions, such as in long-term, low-emission development strategies, all play a crucial role. This uncertainty extends to the impacts of low-carbon innovations on energy demand and other variables, where unanticipated and unintended outcomes are the norm. For instance, rapid investments in public transport networks could restrict car ownership from becoming common in developing countries ( [[#Du--2017|Du and Lin 2017]] ).

<div id="6.7.3.2" class="h3-container"></div>

<span id="physical-energy-system-lock-in"></span>