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Accelerating sustainability transitions: the case of the hydrogen agenda in the North West region of England

Edwards, Reace; Howe, Joseph; Font-Palma, Carolina

Authors

Reace Edwards

Joseph Howe



Abstract

Low-carbon hydrogen can assist in addressing the global crisis of climate change by significantly decarbonizing a range of heavy-emitting sectors. In the United Kingdom, hydrogen technologies are at the forefront of the net zero-emission roadmaps of many industrial clusters. However, with impending timeframes linked to emission targets and other decarbonization objectives, it is increasingly important to understand how to accelerate such transitions to hydrogen. There is, to date, a notable gap in the academic literature concerning the acceleration of sustainability transitions. Using the case of the hydrogen agenda in England’s North West region, we explore how the transition to hydrogen can be accelerated and thus begin to contribute toward filling this omission. In doing so, we use data collected through semi-structured interviews and from the public domain to unpack and develop upon an existing framework that emerged from the European Commission funded-project Accelerating and Rescaling Transitions to Sustainability (ARTS). The framework comprises five acceleration mechanisms which local sustainability transition initiatives have adopted. This analysis generates novel findings in relation to why actors in the region have faced difficulties in instrumentalizing as well as the mechanism’s overall importance in acceleration. We use these challenges to inform several recommendations which policy makers could adopt to accelerate the North West’s, and wider UK’s, transition to hydrogen.

Citation

Edwards, R., Howe, J., & Font-Palma, C. (2022). Accelerating sustainability transitions: the case of the hydrogen agenda in the North West region of England. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 18(1), 428-442. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2022.2082108

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 20, 2022
Online Publication Date Jun 29, 2022
Publication Date 2022
Deposit Date Jun 29, 2022
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy
Electronic ISSN 1548-7733
Publisher Taylor & Francis
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 18
Issue 1
Pages 428-442
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2022.2082108
Keywords Decarbonization; Hydrogen; Sustainability; Policy; Transition
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4002820

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