Illuminating practitioner challenges in energy transitions.

Sustainable development (SD) is a concept that can be used to address complex challenges, including energy transitions. SD offers diverse strategies that provide useful direction in navigating tensions, trade-offs and synergies in energy transitions. The purpose of this research was to identify the challenges that energy practitioners are faced with in energy transitions and explore potential solutions. To achieve this purpose, we identified and explored the challenges faced by energy practitioners in Canada. Specifically, we conducted a survey of 34 energy practitioners from across Canada, as well as in-depth interviews with the Energy Futures Lab design team (which is a civil society initiative actively working on the energy transition in Canada). We identified the following challenges faced by energy practitioners in Canada: there is no simple, single solution for energy transitions; energy transitions have potentially conflicting considerations; energy systems have potentially conflicting goals; energy practitioners have different levels of trust and competencies in key actors; energy practitioners need to work across the political spectrum; and the costs and benefits of energy transitions are unevenly distributed. We discuss how the three strategies of SD (i.e., economic choice, political choice, social choice) could be applied to manage the intended and unintended tensions and trade-offs inherent in energy transitions. We conclude that the three SD strategies are not always equally valued by energy practitioners, but they have the potential to be useful in different energy transitions scenarios.

Energy poverty: an overlooked determinant of health and climate resilience in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: Despite Canada being an important energy producer, not all Canadians can access or afford adequate levels of energy services at home to meet their needs, maintain healthy indoor temperatures, and live a decent life-a situation known as energy poverty. Depending on the measure, 6-19% of Canadian households face energy poverty. Health risks associated with energy poverty are documented in countries with milder climates. This study explores, for the first time in the Canadian context, the association between energy poverty and health. METHODS: Cross-sectional data are from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey. Analyses are conducted on a sample weighted to represent 14 million Canadian households. The associations between expenditure-based and self-reported measures of energy poverty and self-rated general and mental health were assessed using logistic regression models, adjusted for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: The odds of rating one's general (OR: 1.48; 95%CI: 1.29, 1.70) and mental (OR: 1.21; 1.04, 1.41) health as poor are significantly higher for Canadian adults in households with a high share of energy expenditure to income. The likelihood of poor general and mental health was significantly higher for those dissatisfied with the energy efficiency of their dwelling, and with their ability to maintain a comfortable temperature both in the winter and in the summer. CONCLUSION: Exposure to energy poverty is associated with significantly increased likelihood of poor general and mental health. Given the high proportion of Canadian households facing energy poverty, with demonstrated implications for population health, tackling energy poverty is essential for an equitable energy transition and for climate resilience.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Bien que le Canada soit un important producteur d'énergie, entre 6 % et 19 % des ménages canadiens, selon la mesure retenue, sont en précarité énergétique, une situation qui survient lorsqu'un ménage n'a pas les moyens ou l'accès à des services énergétiques résidentiels adéquats pour maintenir une température ambiante confortable, répondre à ses besoins et vivre dans la dignité. Les risques socio-sanitaires associés à la précarité énergétique sont documentés dans des pays au climat tempéré. Cette étude explore, pour la première fois dans le contexte canadien, l'association entre la précarité énergétique et la santé. MéTHODES: Les données transversales proviennent de l'Enquête canadienne sur le logement de 2018. Les associations entre différentes mesures de précarité énergétique (mesures basées sur les dépenses des ménages et auto-rapportées) et la santé générale et mentale perçue sont estimées à l'aide de modèles de régression logistique ajustés pour des variables de confusion potentielles. Les analyses sont réalisées sur un échantillon pondéré pour représenter 14 millions de ménages. RéSULTATS: Les probabilités de déclarer une mauvaise santé générale (OR : 1,48; IC95% : 1,29-1,70) et mentale (OR : 1,21; 1,04-1,41) sont significativement plus élevées pour les adultes canadiens dont le ménage consacre une part importante de son revenu aux coûts énergétiques. Elles sont aussi significativement plus élevées pour ceux qui déclarent être insatisfaits avec l'efficacité énergétique de leur logement et de leur capacité à maintenir une température confortable en hiver et en été. CONCLUSION: Vivre en situation de précarité énergétique est associée à des probabilités accrues de déclarer une mauvaise santé générale et mentale chez les adultes canadiens. En raison de la proportion élevée de ménages canadiens confrontés à la précarité énergétique et des effets socio-sanitaires que cette situation engendre, lutter contre la précarité énergétique est essentiel pour une transition énergétique équitable et pour la résilience climatique.

Methodology to identify demand-side low-carbon innovations and their potential impact on socio-technical energy systems.

The rapid diffusion of demand-side low-carbon innovations has been identified as a key strategy for maintaining average global temperature rise at or below 1.5 °C. Diffusion research tends to focus on a single sector, or single technology case study, and on a small scope of factors that influence innovation diffusion. This paper describes a novel methodology for identifying multiple demand-side innovations within a specific energy system context and for characterizing their impact on socio-technical energy systems. This research employs several theoretical frameworks that include the Energy Technology Innovation System (ETIS) framework to develop a sample of innovations; the Sustainability Transitions framework to code innovations for their potential to impact the socio-technical system; the energy justice framework to identify the potential of innovations to address aspects of justice; and how characteristics of innovations are relevant to Innovation Adoption. This coding and conceptualization creates the foundation for the future development of quantitative models to empirically assess and quantify the rate of low-carbon innovation diffusion as well as understanding the broader relationship between the diffusion of innovations and socio-technical system change. The three stages of research are:•Contextualization: surveys and desk research to identify low-carbon innovations across the ETIS;•Decontextualization: the development of a codebook of variables•Recontextualization: coding the innovations and analysis.