2191 Major MacKenzie Dr W
Vaughan
ON L6A 4W2
Participation in the low-carbon economy
How citizens and communities participate in energy initiatives is critical to the successful transition to a low-carbon economy. For example, meaningful participation in renewable and low-carbon energy initiatives is linked with enhanced citizen support, where difficulty securing such support is seen as a major barrier for such initiatives. Community energy, which is characterized by high levels of participation, is also associated with wide ranging benefits for communities such as new social mechanisms for learning, economic development, and engagement of local populations in energy policy implementation. Additionally, emerging distributive and demand-side innovations (such as information, automation, microgrids, storage, and electric vehicles) are vital to the successful transition towards renewable energy, and these innovations depend on the participation and engagement of energy users. Considering this important contribution to the transition to a low-carbon economy, there are significant research opportunities for empirical and systematic investigations related to how citizens and communities participate.
Presented by: Christina Hoicka, PhD, Assistant Professor in Sustainable Energy Economics, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University
Christina Hoicka holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Waterloo, a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University, and a Bachelor of Engineering (chemical) from McGill University.
Professor Hoicka investigates participation in a low-carbon energy transition. She is leading the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funded research project "Sustainable Energy Transitions: Linking Proenvironmental Behaviour to System Innovation" that investigates the development and adoption of low-carbon energy innovations by communities. She is the co-founder of Women in Sustainable Energy Research (WISER), a group that seeks to connect and promote women researching clean energy. She has previously conducted research on consumer engagement in smart-grids, participation in home energy efficiency programs, the integration of wind and solar electricity into Ontario’s grid, the adoption of the Energy Star rating in commercial buildings in the United States and of biofuels in Canada and India.
**All sessions held at the Civic Centre Resource Library from 7 to 8:30pm. Attendance is free but registration is required. Refreshments provided. To register, visit alumniandfriends.yorku.ca/vpl-scholars-hub (registration link will become active closer to the event date)
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