From post-politics to a politics of possibility? Unravelling the privatization of the Berlin Water Company

Beveridge, Ross; Hüesker, Frank; Naumann, Matthias

doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2013.09.021

Cited by 53 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…We argue that this concept can enlighten community energy research and allows for the inclusion of non-local and participatory public projects. This in turn widens the number of policy options in the energy sector for both social movement and state actors (Beveridge et al, 2014).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcending community energy: collective and politically motivated projects in renewable energy (CPE) across Europe

Becker¹,

Kunze²

2014

PPP

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Based on an EU-wide empirical survey, this paper proposes the alternative concept of collective and politically motivated renewable energy (CPE) projects that includes different forms of enterprises such as co-operatives and participatory public utilities. In doing so, we intend to take a clearer stance on both organisational and ownership features and the political motivation of these projects. The aim is to overcome the vagueness of the term 'community energy' and to widen the perspective beyond the British context. Mapping CPE projects across different European countries we have identified three development trends and provide a project case study for each trend: the further dissemination of local CPE projects, the formation of regional projects, and the occurrence of urban CPE projects. Countries covered are the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany. We also reflect our findings for the concept of community energy and invite researchers to expand upon our research.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcending community energy: collective and politically motivated projects in renewable energy (CPE) across Europe

Becker¹,

Kunze²

2014

PPP

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“…When an ongoing transition is combined with far-reaching normative goals, they are primarily devoted to a ''politics of possibility,'' which seeks to utilise the restricted room to manoeuvre to achieve gradual change (Beveridge et al 2014). The strong normative impetus of CPE thus distinguishes them from purely profit-oriented organisations (Jeong et al 2012).…”

Section: Contextualising and Defining Cpementioning

confidence: 99%

Collective ownership in renewable energy and opportunities for sustainable degrowth

2015

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Following the renaissance of energy generation from renewable sources around the globe, it was suggested that the shift from fossil to renewable energy could potentially counter the growth orientation of economic activity. In this line of argument, small-scale technology and decentralised ownership, in the field of energy and beyond, are commonly regarded as potential precursors of a sustainable degrowth society. However, these systemic and conceptual considerations have been rarely assessed empirically. This paper wishes to address this research gap. It presents the exploratory findings of an EU-wide survey conducted in 2013 and further discusses the conceptualisation of smallscale ownership structures in renewable energy as an alternative to the community energy concept. Secondly, the paper relates the debates on degrowth to small-scale renewable energy schemes and illustrates its argument with four case studies from Wales, Italy, Spain, and Germany. These cases represent different organisational forms, diverse spatial settings, and varying national policy contexts. In its observations, this paper draws on the concept of collective and politically motivated renewable energy projects (CPE). While still mainly found in niches across Europe and essentially linked to environmental and social movements, we argue that CPE can potentially become blueprints for a turn towards a degrowth practice that will foster the democratisation of renewable energy production.

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“…In this instance, the cost of water provision and infrastructure was to be realised through taxes rather than economic pricing instruments (Kaika, 2003;Page and Kaika, 2003). In Berlin, there was a partial re-municipalisation of the city's water supplies in 2012 following the implementation of the WFD, representing a retraction of moves towards privatisation that occurred during the late-1990s (Beveridge et al, 2014). Consequently, neoliberal governance regimes, which have emerged as being hegemonic, have been far from absolute, even within the 'consolidation' of the EU as a unified region.…”

Section: Broader Context: From Government To Governancementioning

confidence: 99%

Reframing water: Contesting H 2 O within the European Union

et al. 2015

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a b s t r a c tWater fulfills multiple functions and is instilled with numerous meanings: it is concurrently an economic input, an aesthetic reference, a religious symbol, a public good, a fundamental resource for public health, and a biophysical need for humans and ecosystems. Hence, water has multiple ontologies embedded within diverse social, cultural, spiritual, and political domains. For this paper, we reviewed 78 pieces of water legislation across the European Union, critically analysing the different ways in which water has been defined; subsequently we contrasted these definitions against the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD). We argue that the act of defining water is not only a deeply social and political process, but that it often privileges specific worldviews; and that the impetus of the WFD reveals a neoliberal approach to water governance: an emphasis on water as a commercial product that should be subjected to market influences. Subsequently, we conclude that the emerging concept of the 'hydrosocial cycle,' which emphasises the inherent links between water and society, could be a useful heuristic tool to promote a broader conception of water based on diverse understandings, that challenge hegemonic definitions of water.

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From post-politics to a politics of possibility? Unravelling the privatization of the Berlin Water Company

Cited by 53 publications

References 37 publications

Transcending community energy: collective and politically motivated projects in renewable energy (CPE) across Europe

Transcending community energy: collective and politically motivated projects in renewable energy (CPE) across Europe

Collective ownership in renewable energy and opportunities for sustainable degrowth

Reframing water: Contesting H 2 O within the European Union

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