Mr Mr Robert Cummins
Research focus
This project will involve work on environmental policies and investigation of how anaerobic digestion processes comply with current environmental policies; what changes in policies will be needed to make these processes feasible to fit in with environmental priorities, and the conditions under which the technology can be reconciled with both economic and sustainability objectives.
In addition, there will be a study of the levels and type of regulations and incentives that are or could be most practicably available; and how public and private institutions are and can be induced to engage in the sustainable use of anaerobic digestion technologies.
Transitions management. That is examining the possibilities for achieving sustainable transitions management of the technologies in terms of governance systems. This involves actors, regulatory systems, and incentives. The theory may be developed by investigating issues faced by broadly similar technologies in different European countries, that is countries with broadly the same conditions of ecological modernization. A study of how development and use of anaerobic digestion technology has been advanced, or retarded, by differing governance arrangements and networks of actors in different countries. This could be investigated with regard to different types and markets for the technologies. Such countries include Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland.