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Climate tech is critical for averting planetary chaos. Half the greenhouse gas reductions required to reach “net-zero” climate targets in 2050 will need to come from technologies that have not yet been invented. Without effective government interventions, market incentives alone will not produce a rapid transition to a low-carbon economy. The commercial value of innovative climate technology, especially in its early phases, remains underpriced—far below its social value. The good news is that smart policies can change these dynamics and catalyze the necessary creativity and investment in clean technology, and its deployment. The key question is: which approaches can lead us to future carbon neutrality, and which are likely to fall short? In Making Climate Tech Work, environmental policy expert Alon Tal demystifies climate innovation programs around the world—no policy background needed. Beginning with a review of government's general role in technology policy development, Tal assesses each policy alternative, describing eye-opening experiments in diverse countries, presenting a range of case studies, interviewing leading decarbonization experts, and interpreting new empirical data. Discover how Germany incentivized renewables; Denmark became a wind energy superpower; Australia phased out incandescent bulbs; California's prisons pioneered low-carbon menus; and why carbon taxes have failed around the world—but could be designed for success. Tal distills the benefits and drawbacks of each policy, along with related ethical questions and public perceptions. He concludes by addressing two commonly overlooked issues in climate policy: disruption of workers'livelihoods from the clean energy transition; and integrating the Global South into the planet's new low-carbon economy—as the region that has contributed least to climate change but which must be part of a global solution. Tal not only evaluates which policy strategies effectively reduce emissions but also how they can promote climate tech innovation. Humanity is ultimately in a race against time and effective climate policies are critical to ensure a sustainable future. Making Climate Tech Work serves as an essential primer for policymakers, academics, activists, and anyone interested in climate solutions.

​Wie lässt sich Policy-Wandel in der Europäischen Union erklären? Tobias Rammel beantwortet diese Frage erstmals für die Gesamtheit des ordentlichen Gesetzgebungsverfahrens zur EU-Energiepolitik von 1992 bis 2019 im Rahmen einer Blended-Reading-Diskursanalyse. Rekurrierend auf eine Analyse des Forschungsstandes zur EU-Energiepolitik wird in diesem Buch argumentiert, dass eine theoretische Synthese der Arbeiten zur Diskursanalyse und zum Policy-Wandel die bisherigen Defizite der klassischen Theorieschulen ausgleichen kann. Methodisch wird in einem innovativen dreistufigen Forschungsdesign auf eine Blended-Reading-Kombination von Close-Reading in Form von unüberwachten Text-Mining-Verfahren (Topic Modeling) zur induktiv-explorativen Vorstrukturierung der Analyse und Distant-Reading in Form einer qualitativen Feinanalyse zur Interpretation und Kontextualisierung der Daten zurückgegriffen. Damit liefert das Buch eine bislang einzigartige und differenzierte Erklärung für Policy-Wandel und die dazugehörigen diskursiven Dynamiken zwischen den EU-Institutionen im COD der EU-Energiepolitik von 1992 bis 2019.

This scholarly work discusses the historical, contemporary, and prospective dimensions of environmental activism and its intersection with global media. It provides a comprehensive view of the pivotal role played by the media in shaping awareness concerning environmental challenges and catalyzing actions to address them. Drawing upon the insights of an interdisciplinary cohort of scholars, the book systematically examines the diverse aspects of the nexus between media and environmental activism. Chapter contributions establish the foundational framework for comprehending how media as a whole lend support to activism; delineate the historical trajectory of environmental activism; the construction of narratives within the political, economic, and social domains of society; scrutinize the function of mass media within the context of globalization, digitization, and social media; and elucidate how governance structures influence the environmental activism process. By introducing readers to the basic narrative in environmental activism, globalization, and media, this book will be an important source of information for researchers, academicians and students engaged in various interdisciplinary studies linked to media, environment and activism.