The Politics of the Future for Sustainable Energy: Controversy, Realism, and the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook

In this thesis I develop a generalized framework for understanding the relationship between politics and the observation of the future for sustainable energy and use it to explore the connections between politics and controversy surrounding a prominent energy future report. Given that the ‘observation’ of the future is instrumentally oriented towards bringing more information into present processes of decision-making, thereby intending to shape the very thing that they observe, I explore conventional perspectives on the relationship between politics and technology as an analogue for futures. Following a review of the underlying concept of the political, I adopt an approach in which politics is conceived of as 'distinction', thus noting that controversy is a reliable indicator of politicization. I then use this framework to explore the connection between politics and controversy surrounding the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook. Tracing the emergence of a controversy surrounding this report, I identify three main political themes or allegations (bias, corruption, and irresponsibility) and explore the conditions of their politicization through a series of interviews with key stakeholders in the controversy. I then explore four sites of contention through which these allegations are expressed. I conclude by discussing the findings of the 'internal' perspective with the 'external' framework, reflecting on my two primary research questions. Based both on the theoretical argument and the findings of the empirical investigation, I will argue that at the root of the politics of the future for sustainable energy is a question of realism: that is, what is or is not realistic to see, hope, or do about the future for sustainable energy.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Political Science

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Gaede, James Robert

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2014 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, research, scholarship, and teaching. Theses may only be shared by linking to Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be used without proper attribution to the author. No part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2014-10242

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/32316