Browsing by Subject "policy mix"
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(2024)This thesis aims to illuminate expert dissensus on the policy instruments for reducing the carbon footprint of household consumption. In this thesis, I focus specifically on the policy instruments for addressing Finnish households’ consumption, proposed in the policy Delphi study by Salo et al. (2023), and experts’ responses regarding the measures’ importance. Exploring expert dissensus regarding consumption policy instruments is essential since identifying the measures that elicit expert dissensus and unveiling experts’ opinions on these measures promotes transparency in policymaking, helps to identify underlying assumptions, inconsistencies, and potential blind spots within the proposed measures, and therefore, contributes to better policy formulation. Two research questions are answered in this thesis to explore expert dissensus regarding consumption policy instruments: 1) What policy instruments to reduce the carbon footprint of household consumption elicit the most dissensus among experts? and 2) On what grounds do experts agree or disagree on the instruments exhibiting expert dissensus? A quantitative analysis involving calculating the interquartile range of experts’ responses was done to reveal which policy instruments exhibited expert dissensus. As a result, 26.8% of all proposed policy instruments were identified to exhibit expert dissensus. Subsequently, experts’ open comments regarding these policy instruments were examined through a thematic analysis to understand the grounds for expert dissensus. As a result of this research, seven themes emerging from experts’ open comments were identified: 1) Effectiveness, 2) Feasibility and practicality, 3) Content of policy mix, 4) Content of policy measure, 5) Consideration of other factors guiding consumption, 6) Consideration of possible side effects of utilizing the measure, and 7) Normative claims. Of these themes, the most prevalent was effectiveness, and the least prevalent were normative claims. As previous literature points out, the evaluation of policy instruments involves a blend of normative and empirical aspects. While it is unclear to what extent experts resorted to implicit normative assumptions within their evaluation process, this thesis concludes that information and uncertainty-related aspects, especially regarding effectiveness, require further consideration in sustainable consumption policymaking and research regarding policy measures exhibiting expert dissensus.
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(2022)Urban energy transitions play a key role in achieving climate targets and keeping the climate crisis from escalating. The district heating system of Helsinki has been characterised as a path-dependent and locked in system that will face difficulties in transitioning away from fossil fuels. In 2021 the city owned energy company Helen announced that it will quit coal burning in 2024, which is five years ahead of the national coal ban prohibiting coal use for energy in 2029. The coal phase out of Helsinki is a concrete example of a demanding coal phase out in a northern city with high energy demand. This thesis aims at answering the research question on how the multilevel policy mix, consisting of policy instruments on the municipal level, the national level, and the international level, contributed to the coal phase out of Helsinki. Through a case study approach relying on ten expert and stakeholder interviews as well as complementary material consisting of key strategy documents, this thesis aims to widen the understanding of the role of policy and politics in sustainability transitions and urban energy transitions. This study covers both policymaking and implementation processes as well as system impacts of the policy mix contributing to the coal phase out of Helsinki. Through empirical reviews the thesis contributes to the conceptualisation of policy mixes on multiple governance levels by studying the combined impact of policy instruments formed at the local, national, and international level. Regulatory policies on the national and international level (emissions trading, national ban on coal, taxation etc.), policies supporting low-carbon solutions on the national level (tax-exemptions) and climate target setting as well as support for low-carbon solutions on the municipal level (deregulation, innovation competitions) altogether contributed to the coal phase out. The findings of this study are in line with previous research emphasising the destabilisation of fossil fuel regimes to achieve transitions towards sustainability. Incorporating the elements of policy processes and strategies as well as policy effects and feedbacks into the concept of policy mixes is important to assess the efficacy and long-term impacts of policy mixes. The coherence of policies on multiple governance levels and the balance between regime destabilising and niche creating policies is also important in ensuring transitions towards sustainability. The results of this study support previous research findings on cities being important arenas and actors for sustainability transitions. Policies from different governance levels intersect on the urban level and decisions on infrastructure transformation are made on the municipal level.
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