Why are Material Efficiency Solutions a Limited Part of the Climate Policy Agenda? An application of the Multiple Streams Framework to UK policy on CO₂emissions from cars

Abstract

The Multiple Streams Framework is applied to investigate why material efficiency solutions are a limited part of the climate policy agenda. The case study under investigation is the UK agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emission from cars. Evidence from 14 semi-structured interviews, document analysis and academic studies is used to develop and substantiate the arguments made. In the UK, inefficient material use is only perceived as a problem in so far as it increases in-use vehicle emissions, which disadvantages some material efficiency solutions. The appeal of material efficiency solutions is further limited by a lack of real-world and modelling evidence, creating uncertainty around the anticipated costs and impacts of any policy intervention. Recent political developments are unlikely to make the UK government more receptive to the problem of greenhouse gases arising from inefficient material use in the future. This is further compounded by policy lockin. Although a small community of policy entrepreneurs are promoting material efficiency solutions, they have disparate priorities, which impacts their effectiveness. The insights from this paper can inform future research and policy entrepreneurship to increase the likelihood of material efficiency solutions becoming a larger part of the climate policy agenda. The problem of climate change is too significant for any potential solutions to remain underexplored by policy-makers in the UK and the rest of the world.

Never let a serious crisis go to waste: the introduction of supplemental carbon taxes in Europe

“…The MSF has thus far mainly been applied to qualitative studies of single cases or a small number of cases (for applications to climate policy see, e.g. Keskitalo et al, 2012;Cooper-Searle et al, 2018;Ryan and Micozzi, 2021). Engler and Herweg (2019) outline the high barriers of entry for medium and large n applications of the MSF, which result from methodological issues as well as data availability.…”

“…In contrast to previous research in the field which applies the MSF to single cases or a small number of cases (e.g. Keskitalo et al 2012;Cooper-Searle et al 2018;Ryan and Micozzi 2021), we combine qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and case studies. We are thus able to offer more general insights concerning favourable context conditions for the adoption of carbon taxes as well as insights on how favourable and unfavourable conditions affect the efforts of policy entrepreneurs in practice.…”

Planning to fail? How science can respond to reduced climate mitigation ambition

“…We, therefore, pay less attention to other aspects of the three streams framework, such as 'policy entrepreneurs', who work to get things on the agenda and draw together the streams to deliver change. We refer readers to reviews discussing Kingdon's approach and the breadth of its application 7 , as well as its utility for transport and climate policy analysis 8 for further detail.…”

The making of green steel in the EU: a policy evaluation for the early commercialization phase

“…A broad literature has formed around the benefits of increasing the material efficiency of steel production and use (Allwood & Cullen, 2012;Allwood et al, 2017;Hertwich et al, 2019;Kallis, 2017;Material Economics, 2018;Milford et al, 2013;Söderholm & Tilton, 2012). However, these issues have largely not made it onto the political agenda (Cooper-Searle et al, 2018). The extent to which the share of secondary production can be increased is limited by several factors, such as the availability of scrap and the maintenance of scrap quality (Pauliuk, Milford, et al, 2013;Xylia et al, 2018), as well as the ability to produce high quality steels in the secondary route.…”