Innovations and Techno-Ecological Transition

This book aims to present a systemic perspective to energetic transition to a discarbonated society implying an increase of energetic efficiency of current production process, new way of energy production - integration of renewable energies, re-use of wastes. Main societal functions are analyzed in order to highlight the ongoing process of technological and non-technological innovations: transport and mobility, food, building. The purpose of this book is to analyze from a global perspective the energetic innovative system on building and to understand the limits of its development and potential new actions.

Fabienne PICARD, Associate Professor, IRTES-RECITS, FCLab, University of Technology Belfort-Montbéliard, France.

Corinne TANGUY, Associate Professor, CESAER (UMR INRA-Agrosup Dijon), Agrosup Dijon, France.

Preface vii

Introduction  ix

Chapter 1. A Necessary Transition? 1

1.1. Socio-technical systems facing their limits  2

1.1.1. Meeting global demographic pressures  3

1.1.2. Limiting the depletion of natural resources  4

1.1.3. Restrain environmental degradation  5

1.2. An analytical framework under construction: the Transition Studies 7

1.2.1. The emergence of “Transition Studies”  7

1.2.2. The transition as a process of socio-technical systems transformation 8

1.2.3. A transition supported by a systemic vision of innovation 11

1.3. Eco-innovations: facilitators of the transition?  19

1.3.1. Innovation for the environment 19

1.3.2. New management and innovation practices 22

Chapter 2. Energy Transitions 27

2.1. A socially structuring energy model  29

2.2. Fundamentals and characterization of the current energy system 31

2.2.1. Energy and the energy system 31

2.2.2. From primary energy to final energy 32

2.3. The limits of the current energy system  34

2.3.1. An evolution of the world’s energy consumption…  35

2.3.2. …which shrinks fossil energy reserves…  36

2.3.3. …and generates local and global environmental damage  38

2.4. Innovation in the energy transition 40

2.4.1. Improving the current system of energy production and adapting existing technologies to new constraints 41

2.4.2. Producing energy differently from non-carbon resources  43

2.4.3. Using energy differently: electromobility 47

2.4.4. Transition to a radically new energy system: the hydrogen economy  50

2.5. Barriers of the energy transition 55

2.5.1. Market failures  55

2.5.2. Systemic failures 56

Chapter 3. Agro-ecological Transitions 59

3.1. The notion of agro-ecology 60

3.1.1. Towards an ecologically intensive agriculture…  60

3.1.2. … and a sustainable food regime  61

3.2. The implementation of the agro-ecological transition  61

3.2.1. Changing agricultural production systems  62

3.2.2. Eco-innovations in agribusiness companies: a recent and moderate development  63

3.2.3. Consumers committed to the environment  65

3.3. Obstacles and levers for the agro-ecological transition 69

3.3.1. Process of locking and unlocking 69

3.3.2. Obstacles to the development of new agricultural practices  71

3.3.3. Blockages on the side of the agri-food sector  77

3.4. The levers for agro-ecological transition: the role of public policies 79

Conclusion 87

Bibliography  91

Index 115

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