1. IDENTIFYING AND COMPARING THEIMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT ASSUMPTIONSABOUT ENERGY DEMAND IN BRITISH POLICYDOCUMENTS - A CRITICAL REVIEWAntonio Ferreira University of LeedsRichard Francis Hanna University of ReadingGreg Marsden University of LeedsJacopo Torriti University of ReadingDr Antonio FerreiraEmail: a.c.ferreira@leeds.ac.ukResearch Fellow in Governance and Transport PoliciesInstitute for Transport StudiesUniversity of Leeds

2. THE PROBLEMS 3. THE PROBLEMS(SOME OF) THE PROBLEMS:Climate change and extreme weather eventsBiodiversity collapseDepletion of natural resources, particularly fossil fuelsFinancial crisis and global competitionALL CONSTITUTE A THREAT TO A SOCIETY AS OURS WHEREHIGH DEMAND FOR ENERGY AND RESOURCES IS SO CENTRAL 4. THE PROBLEMSTWO APPROACHES TO ADDRESS THEM1. Make possible to maintain high demand for energy andresources in adverse circumstances2. Reducing demand for energy and resources by means ofdeep changes in social practices (remit of DEMAND Centre)How are implicit and explicit assumptions to be found inBritish policy documents likely to determine what approachis adopted more strongly? 5. METHODOLOGY 6. COMMON ASSUMPTIONS / METHODOLOGYEMPIRICAL APPROACHConsider substantially different policy areasIdentify policy documents of significant relevance ()Perform in-depth analysis of selected policy documentsIdentification of themes (implicit and explicit assumptions)Literature reviewSynthesise themes into a as-small-as-possible set of metathemes/assumptions that are common to majority ofpolicies 7. COMMON ASSUMPTIONS / METHODOLOGYPolicy area Policy document Authorship Last updateTransport andmobilityThe strategic case for HS2 Department for Transport and High SpeedTwo (HS2) Limited 29/Oct/2013Winter Resilience in Transport:An Assessment of the case foradditional investmentDepartment for Environment, Food & RuralAffairs and Department for Transport andDepartment of Energy & Climate Change6/Dec/2011Cities andtownsHelping people to buy a homeDepartment for Communities and LocalGovernment, The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP,Minister of State for Housing, HM Treasuryand Homes and Communities Agency8/Oct/2013Improving high streets and towncentres (based on The PortasReview)Department for Communities and LocalGovernment, The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP,Brandon Lewis MP and Future High StreetsForum29/Apr/2014Energy andclimatechangeThe future of heating: astrategic framework for lowcarbon heatDepartment of Energy & Climate Change 29/Mar/2012Increasing the use of low-carbontechnologiesDepartment of Energy & Climate Change,Department for Transport and EnvironmentAgency24/Jun/2014Education andcultureGetting more people playingsportDepartment for Culture, Media & Sport,Department for Education, The Rt Hon SajidJavid MP, Minister for Sport & Equalities andEdward Timpson MP10/Jan/2014Making the higher educationsystem more efficient anddiverseDepartment for Business, Innovation & Skillsand The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP 12/Dec/2012 8. COMMON ASSUMPTIONS / METHODOLOGYIDENTIFIED META-THEMES/ASSUMPTIONSAntagonism (explicit)Epochalist solutionism (implicit)High demand as a necessity (implicit and explicit) 9. COMPETITION AS ANTAGONISM(HUNGER GAMES) 10. COMPETITION AND ANTAGONISM (HUNGER GAMES) 11. COMPETITION AND ANTAGONISM (HUNGER GAMES) 12. COMPETITION AND ANTAGONISMThe Sainsburys School Games is a national programme thataims to motivate and inspire millions of young people acrossthe country to take part in more competitive sport.Citation from Getting more people playing sport - The SchoolGames 13. COMPETITION AND ANTAGONISMIs competition/antagonism an effective concept to reducedemand for energy and resources?QuestionableExotic holidays and Facebook postingSports/high end cars and social positioningAll forms of consumption for social positioningCorporate drive to compete / maximise profitWeapon / war industry to secure inequalities 14. EPOCHALISM 15. EPOCHALISMTimePasteventPasteventPasteventPastevent NowTimePasteventPasteventPasteventPasteventNowMorozov (2013) To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism.PubblicAffairs Books, NY 16. EPOCHALISMThe days of a high street populated simply by independentbutchers, bakers and candlestick makers are, except in themost exceptional circumstances, over. How we shop as anation has quite simply changed beyond recognition.Forever.Extract from The Portas Independent Review which hasinformed the Improving high streets and town centres policy 17. SOLUTIONISM 18. SOLUTIONISMCONTEXTFocus onunderstandingroots ofproblemsFocus on howto solveproblemsMorozov (2013) To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism.PubblicAffairs Books, NYTimePasteventPasteventPasteventPasteventNowFascinationwithinnovations(solutions?) 19. ANTAGONIST-EPOCHALIST SOLUTIONISMandHIGH DEMAND AS A NECESSITY 20. ANTAGONIST EPOCHALIST SOLUTIONISM and DEMANDANTAGONISM: The new north-south railway is one of the mostpotentially beneficial, but also challenging infrastructureprojects on the planet. In terms of ambition it stands alongsideanything we have ever done as a nation; and is a step towardsmaking Britain the best-connected island in the world.EPOCHALIST SOLUTIONISM: If Britain is to prosper in thefuture, we must invest now [in HS2].NECESSITY OF HIGH DEMAND: The evidence shows thateconomic growth and demand for transport go hand in hand.() The existing capacity of our transport networks is asignificant inhibitor of demand [and therefore an inhibitor ofgrowth]Extracts from The strategic case for HS2 21. CONCLUSION:CAN WE EXPECT DEMAND TODECREASE WHEN:ANTAGONISMEPOCHALIST SOLUTIONISMARE META-THEMES IN POLICYMAKING? 22. QuestionableAntagonism and epochalist solutionism canactually be used as devices to reduce demandfor energy and resources(one can use a samurai sword to cut bread)Other devices would probably do it so muchbetterE.g.: cooperation, addressing the roots of theproblems, social practices-based approaches