Research Group 2: Profile

Research Group 2 focuses on integrated energy, transport and climate policy analysis at different political levels (international, national, regional, local). The goal is to analyse and develop sustainable policy strategies. The highest priority is placed on the ecological component of sustainability, while the interplay with economic and social dimensions is examined as well.

A cross-cutting perspective is at the centre of our research on the policy areas energy, transport and climate. As a continuation of sectoral analysis, it serves as a basis for two main areas of research:

• Analysing and developing strategies and instruments of integrated energy, transport and climate policy oriented towards concrete goals
• Studying conditions for the implementation of strategies and instruments across all phases of the political process. This includes examining the interplay of individual instruments (or combinations of instruments) and a multitude of actors in modern policy networks. The focus lies on the analysis of options for action.

Applicability is one of the watchwords of our research strategy, and our policy consulting is firmly based on research. Priority is given to fields of research in which the integration of energy, transport and climate policy is likely to achieve sustainability goals, especially:

• Guiding principles, goals, concepts and indicators of integrated energy, transport and climate policy and policy-based scenarios of the energy and transport system;
• Integrated climate, energy and transport policy in the context of international agreements;
• Ecological fiscal reform;
• Regional and municipal/local (Agenda 21) climate, energy and transport policy;
• Eco-efficient mobility and energy services and their suppliers;
• Integrated energy, transport and climate policy in One World in light of international justice, giving consideration to international aspects of security policy, foreign policy and economic policy

The research group examines conditions and causes of successful change and implementation processes in the field of integrated energy, transport and climate policy, in order to provide a scientific foundation for an effective policy strategy. That includes:

• Development of an understanding of societal decisionmaking, participation and learning processes;
• Analysis of when and at which level which institutions or sets of instruments can act or interact most effectively in which constellation of actors;
• Ex ante and ex post evaluation of the impacts, benefits and costs of instruments and combinations of instruments;
• Approaches to generalising/implementing good practice examples and successful model and pilot projects on a broader scale;
• Identification and analysis of innovative policy approaches and their applicability to energy, transport and climate policy.

The following guidelines for alignment and methodology emerge from the core research themes:

• We examine policies and measures, taking into consideration political, economic and social framework conditions as well as policy instruments, ranging from the classical instruments to soft policies.
• We study a field of actors that extends from traditional political and administrative actors to international organisations/regimes, businesses, NGOs and individuals, to the public and the media.
• Transformation processes occur at different levels, so we analyse all levels of government - from municipalities to the United Nations - and their interactions during different phases of the policy cycle.
• We combine scientific analysis of possible strategies and instruments with the search for suitable strategies and instruments for practical application.

The following methods are used in this endeavour:

• Analytical tools from the political and social sciences, from planning and economics as well as quantitative and qualitative empirical studies;
• Design of and scientific support for pilot and model projects for the development, testing and evaluation of innovative solutions, and for approaches to disseminating the positive experiences and avoiding the negative ones gained in the process.