Climate change, energy and transport

Principal investigator: Professor David Banister

Lead institution: University of Oxford

The overall aim of this one-year scanning exercise is to analyse and synthesise insights about the actions to reduce energy use emissions in transport and their effects, to identify major knowledge gaps, and to propose new ways to advance the energy and emissions agenda in transport without comprising the fulfilment of mobility needs of users of transport system. To realise this aim the project considers the movement of people, goods and information at the global and local levels and such key actors as scientists, actors in the institutional and political realms and businesses and citizens.

Three more specific objectives will be addressed. Firstly, the exercise investigates how scientific analysis of climate change, energy and transport can be extended by drawing on insights from the social sciences. Secondly, the project considers differences in the understandings of issues related to climate change, energy and transport among scientists, actors in the institutional and political realms and businesses and citizens. Finally, it looks at the possibilities to integrate actions in transport with those in other spheres and sectors.

The methods used to investigate these issues include reviews of the recent international literature, a series of interviews with key agencies and others to canvass views and seminars for social scientists. The project will identify innovative social science approaches and develop a research agenda with regard to climate change, energy and transport.

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