The influence of political culture on renewable energy development in the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia

Abstract

The energy transition might be affected by numerous factors, however, the way it develops varies from country to country based on the existing political culture and behavior of its bearers. Which characteristics of political culture favor the energy transition, and which hamper it is the main question of the study. The analysis focuses on three cases: the UK, Germany and Russia. It appeals to policy documents, scientific research to identify the main features of political culture and energy trends to make a comparative analysis, supported by expert interviews. In result, the UK demonstrates a liberal inclusive culture with a strong influence of conventional energy lobby formed during the last century which hampers the RE transition in some sectors. Germany has a very inclusive culture and strong engagement with supportive civil society leading to high level of RE development, while Russia is a closed system with the exclusive right of political participation which does not provide any space for RE coalitions to break in and promote their ideas. Therefore, such factors as openness of the political system, public support, presence of lobby, market regulation and external/internal shocks composing the national political culture may play a crucial role in RE deployment.