Germany, Spain, the UK, Australia and China

Abstract

This chapter looks at renewable energy development in selected countries with the objective of studying the politics behind the inception and growth of renewable energy and classifying them according to key analytical criteria that are of special focus in this book. A key research question is: ‘What association is there between the appearance of characteristics of “identity” ecological modernisation and different levels and types of renewable development in the different case studies?’ In order to remind the reader of what was said in Chapter 2, the ‘identity’ EM approach posits five characteristics in relation to the renewable energy case: idealism in the technological innovation process; the existence of an effective dedicated financial support mechanism for renewable energy; the existence of independent renewable energy trade associations; the formation of coalitions between the renewable trade association(s) and environmental NGOs; and deployment of renewables by companies that are independent of the main energy companies.