Abstract

Work in the sustainability transitions tradition has put special emphasis on the importance of intermediaries - organizations and individuals that provide the links between innovation and the successful deployment and operation of new technologies. Recent work on the need to accelerate sustainable transitions in the face of the climate and biodiversity crises has re-emphasized the importance of intermediaries in transition networks. We present a case study of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Canada, a technology that fits the profile of the kind of “ready to use” innovation promoted by the advocates of transition acceleration, focusing on the work being done by intermediaries. SMRs are not an entirely new technology (a bonus in the eyes of the accelerators) but have been, for sometime, a classic case of a solution in search of a problem. Using John Kingdon’s model of agenda-setting, we use document analysis and interviews to identify SMR intermediaries and show how they have helped attach the SMR solution to the twin problems of rapidly expanding clean energy production for the grid and providing energy security in remote communities. The fact that the latter are often indigenous communities in the Canadian context creates a special challenge for intermediaries In our discussion of the case, we offer some recommendations to policy makers to recognize the role of transition intermediaries in accelerating local sustainability transitions but also identify the practice of intermediaries shaping the narratives around SMR deployment in local contexts where there are alternative solutions to the problems at hand.

Presenters

Jeremy Rayner
Professor, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada

Mariia Iakovleva
Student, Ph.D., Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Multiple Legacies: Heritage, Traditions, Local Ecologies, Knowledge, Values, Protection

KEYWORDS

Sustainability Transitions; Acceleration; Energy; Small Nuclear; Indigenous Communities

Digital Media

This presenter hasn’t added media.
Request media and follow this presentation.