<i>‘At last, a serious review of the interactions between society and energy. The Handbook considers the impacts of decarbonisation options from many angles, but all through the lens of society and social science, and not just from the techno-economic perspectives which usually dominate such analysis. The authors provide valuable insights, not only into the potential changes to energy production and consumption but also to the governance needed to achieve them, as society is weaned off its dependence on fossil fuels.’</i>
- Keith MacLean OBE, Providence Policy, London, UK,
<i>‘Too often seen as a technical issue, how we live with and can transform our energy systems is a societal challenge. This Handbook gathers international contributors to examine the profound social questions that underpin how energy is provided and used. Drawing on examples from a wide range of social contexts, it provides crucial insights into how energy is central not only to how we live but who we are and offers key findings pointing to how the transformations necessary for a more sustainable future can be realised.’</i>
- Harriet Bulkeley, Durham University, UK,
Structured in four thematic parts, the Research Handbook begins with an analysis of the evolution of large-scale energy production and consumption using coal, oil and gas. Chapters then explore social divisions and inequalities in energy systems in different countries, before moving on to discuss energy governance, policy and politics, along with strategies to achieve transformation. In the final part, the Research Handbook investigates forms of knowledge, stories and public engagement being used to re-make energy futures, concluding that social sciences are identifying the inter-locking societal and technical changes needed to enable rapid systemic changes in energy.
The Research Handbook on Energy and Society will be a crucial resource for social science scholars and students interested in the intersections of energy, climate change and society, including aspects of governance, policy and politics, social identity, social justice and inequalities.