Book chapter on German policy support mechanism for photovoltaics

Palgrave-cover

My book chapter “The German Policy Support Mechanism fpr Photovoltaics: The Road to Grid Parity” was published in Moe, Espen and Midford, Paul (eds.), “The Political Economy of Renewable Energy and Energy Security. Common Challenges and National Responses in Japan, China and Northern Europe”, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 258-275.

From the book description:

Bringing together renewable energy and energy security, the authors cover both the politics and political economy of renewables and energy security and analyzes renewable technologies in some of the most relevant and topical parts of the world. Japan is energy-scarce and still experiencing the aftermath of Fukushima. China is expanding its renewable energy capacity faster than any other country. Northern Europe has long been among the most progressive regions with respect to renewables – boasting Denmark and Germany, front-runners in wind and solar energy solutions – but also home to petroleum-based economies like Norway. By comparing and contrasting the experiences of such a diverse range of countries, this book identifies both barriers and success factors and explains why some countries have been so much more successful than others when it comes to renewable energy.

More information available on the website of Palgrave Macmillan.

Presentation from the Intensive Programme of the MA in Euroculture “European Environments: How a New Climate is Changing the Old World”

The power-point presentation (in English) entitled “Bringing energy to the people – what Poland, Europe and the world really need?” that I prepared for my talk during the panel: “The Climate of European Politics: Climate Change, Europe and the World” during the Intensive Programme of the MA in Euroculture “European Environments: How a New Climate is Changing the Old World” on 23 June  in Cracov is available here:

Presentation “Bringing energy to the people: what Poland, Europe and the world really need?”, Karolina Jankowska

Conference “The EU Renewable Energy Policy: Challenges and Opportunities”

ffu-logo-final1The conference is going to take place at the Free University of Berlin on 9 May. The title of my conference paper and presentation is: “Poland at the energy policy crossroads – a superficial Europenization?”.

The organizer, the Forschungszentrum für Umweltpolitik (FFU) [Environmental Policy Research Centre] at the Free University of Berlin, about the conference:

Das Forschungszentrum für Umweltpolitik (FFU) der Freien Universität Berlin organisiert mit finanzieller Unterstützung der Fritz Thyssen Stiftung eine Konferenz zum Thema “The EU renewable energy policy: challenges and opportunities”. In der Konferenz gehen junge AkademikerInnen aus dem Bereich der Umwelt- und Energiepolitik der Frage nach, wie und in welchem Ausmaß die erneuerbare Energien-Politik der EU die nationalstaatliche Ebene beeinflusst und damit die Transformation der Mitgliedsstaaten in Richtung eines nachhaltigen, auf erneuerbaren Energien basierenden Energieversorgungssystems vorangetrieben hat.

More information about the conference as well as its programme is available on the website of the FFU.

Article together with Andre Schaffrin on the role of veto players and leaders in the new field of climate mitigation policy

This article titled: “Breaks or engines? The role of veto players and leaders in the new field of climate mitigation policy” is a part of Andre Schaffrin’s cumulative dissertation: Schaffrin, Andre (2013), “Policy Change: Concept, Measurement, and Causes. An Empirical Analysis of Climate Mitigation Policy”, Dissertation, Universität zu Kölln. It is available here.

Breaks or engines? The role of veto players and leaders in the new field of climate mitigation policy

Abstract

Veto player theory is undoubtedly one of the most prominent approaches for explaining policy stability and change. While some studies have corroborated the influence of veto players and their preferences, other empirical work has provided mixed evidence. Three critical points are discussed: the identification of veto players, the measurement of policy preferences and the assumption of equivalence of veto players. This article aims to shed new light on the theoretical debate and empirical influence of veto players by applying the model to a newly emerging policy field. While most empirical studies have tested veto player theory in established fields such as social or economic policy, the new field of climate mitigation provides a different context for political decision-making. In this situation with a status quo outside the median preferences, a lack of policy baggage and newly forming actors and interests, the absolute anchoring of preferences and the identification of leaders seems to be an important extension of the veto player perspective. Using a mixed-methods approach, this article combines a large-N pooled time-series cross-section analysis of national policies on energy efficiency in 25 EU member states from 1998 to 2010 with a case-study analysis of the renewable electricity laws in Poland (2005) and Germany (2000). The findings demonstrate that climate leaders play a crucial role in stimulating climate mitigation policy. The case study suggests that political actors other than official veto players such as ministers or the EU strongly influence the process of agenda setting and decision making. The findings underscore the importance of including a measure of the internal cohesion of veto players, the presence of leaders, and the consideration of motives other than policy preferences in future analyses.

Translation into Polish of the Corporate Europe Observatory’s report about the big business influence on the Warsaw Climate Summit

Published by Corporate Europe Observatory, CEO, 21 November 2013.

Nieszczescia chodza parami – wielcy truciciele, polski rzad i ONZ

Corporate Europe Observatory

we wspolpracy badawczej z Karolina Jankowska

Goszczenie tegorocznej Konferencji Narodow Zjednoczonych nt. Zmian Klimatu, COP19, przez Polske, kraj w duzej mierze uzalezniony od wegla i cieszAcy sie zla slawa blokujacego ambitna polityke klimatyczna na poziomie UE, nie wrozy nic dobrego dla jej rezultatow. Polski rzad zaprosil prywatne korporacje do sponsorowania COP – choc przede wszystkim na konferencje, co wywolalo fale pytan, czy COP jest nadal powaznym miedzynarodowym spotkaniem najwyzszej wagi, czy tez znakomita szansa do lobbowania przez tych, ktorzy maja bezposredni komercyjny interes w spalaniu wiekszej ilosci paliw kopalnych. Fakt, ze jeden ze sponsorow biznesowych, producent stali ArcelorMittal, zaplacil za budowe pomieszczen konferencyjnych i umiescil na nich swoje logo, jest znamienitym symbolem “zawlaszczenia” (capture) przez korporacje procesu negocjacyjnego COP.

W miedzyczasie odbyl sie Miedzynarodowy Szczyt Wegla i Klimatu (International Coal and Climate Summit), zorganizowany przez Swiatowa Organizacje Wegla (World Coal Association) jako wydarzenie rownolegle, przy wsparciu polskiego Ministra Gospodarki. Wspolnie wydali oni tzw. “Komunikat Warszawski” (“Warsaw Communique”) proponujac wykorzystanie nieistniejAcego w rzeczywistosci “czystego wegla” (“clean coal”) do walki ze zmianami klimatu.