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Table 2 Shared understanding of current energy system problems and a future vision

From: Collaborative energy visioning under conditions of illiberal democracy: results and recommendations from Ecuador

Categories

Sub-categories

Problem

Vision

Energy planning

Interconnection with national development plan

No interconnection with the national sustainability plan

The national plan sets the principles and values of the energy system

Planning horizon

Short/middle political terms planning

Long-term multi-stakeholder visions

Planning goal

Only focus on electricity/short term: 90% hydropower in 2017

Zero fossil fuels in 2040

Regional integration approach

National sovereignty: protectionism/competition with neighbour countries

Regional sovereignty: renewable energy resources complementarity among countries

Enabling environments

Financial mechanisms

Only public investments with international Chinese loans and multilateral credits are directed to centralised extractive projects

Private–public partnerships (PPP) attracting international direct investment

Knowledge production and transfer

Lack of processes of knowledge transfer, production, research and development

Existence of sectoral knowledge production loops. Cooperation between academia, state and industry via knowledge platforms

Capacity building

Lack of capacities for system transformation

Existence of sectoral learning loops. Cooperation between academia, state and industry via knowledge platforms

Technology and infrastructure

Technological diversification in the supply

Low: large hydro-thermal

High: small and middle size poly-technological (mainly: hydro-solar + (biomass/waste/wind))

Energy conversion

Promotion of fossil fuel-based refineries and fossil fuel-based infrastructure

Bio-refineries and renewable power plants are in operation

Demand/consumption

Fossil fuel-based technology use

Electrification of the final uses

Regulatory frameworks

Ownership of the infrastructure

State-owned

Private–public partnerships

Supply subsidies/incentives

Fossil fuel subsidies and traditional electricity subsidies

Transparent/fair competition between technologies

Demand subsidies/incentives

Incentives for the use of fossil fuels

Incentives for the use of efficient electricity-based technologies

Market access

No regulations that incentivize the participation of private sector in the supply of renewable energy

Regulations incentivize the participation of private sector in the supply of renewable energy via feed-n tariffs (FITs) and auctions

Institutional framework

Degree of centralization in decision making

Centralised and top-down

Decentralised and centralised: bottom-up, middle-out and top-down

Market structure

Mono/oligopolies

Multi-SMEs

Cross-sectoral integration

Disconnection of sectoral agendas

Mutually consistent and reinforcing policy mixes

Institutional networks structure

Formal sectoral networks with disconnected agendas

Informal and formal cross-sectoral networks interacting

Governance type

Authoritarian, state-driven technocratic governance type

Participatory and reflexive dynamic among societal sectors; polycentric

Civil society role

Civil society unable to participate in the decision-making processes of the energy sector

Civil society is supporting decision-making, promoting dialogue, production of knowledge and integrating new perspectives

Cultural change

Education

No nation-wide environmental education programs for the different levels of education

Society is well educated about environment and sustainability through formal programs for all levels of education

Mindset change

Neither information nor knowledge is regularly disseminated about the changes needed in the energy system.

Long-term communication campaigns are disseminating information driving mindset change

There is no experimentation with new models of organisation, business and sectoral interaction.

Knowledge and social innovation platforms are part of the sectoral culture

Consumer behaviour

Consumers are not environmentally aware

Consumers are socially and environmentally responsible in regards to the selection of efficient artefacts and their energy use

Consumers are not actively part of the renewable energy market

Consumers are becoming prosumers (producers and consumers). Prosumers sell and buy renewable energy

Agenda intersection

Water-food-energy nexus

Lack of integration of the political agendas of the Ministry of Energy with the Secretary of Water and the Ministry of Agriculture

There are formal and informal fora’s where actors of the three sectors interact and produce solution-oriented knowledge

Environment/climate change-energy nexus

Environmental ministry does not have strong influence on the decision-making process of the energy planning

Environmental and renewable energy actors from academia, business sector, NGOs and government have developed mechanisms for interactions and decision-making support

Transportation (mobility)-energy nexus

Transport and energy agendas do not have a strong interface. Inefficient individual fossil-fuel-based systems are promoted

Efficient, social and environmental friendly multi-modal systems are implemented with the support of participatory planning process involving the Ministry of Transport, subnational levels (municipalities) and cross-sectoral stakeholders

Social development-energy nexus

There isn’t an energy social agenda where social and energy strategies have an interplay

A cross-sectoral energy social agenda is implemented in order to deal with energy-justice, energy-poverty, energy-equity and energy-democracy

Productive matrix-energy nexus

Crude oil is the main export product and will remain for the next 10 years until the reserves decline dramatically

Renewable electricity is fuelling the productive matrix transformation by electrifying the production of goods and services for export

International affairs-energy nexus

Weak regional energy integration processes. There are no complementarity strategies

Strong energy systems integration processes within the South American region promoting resources complementarity