Biofuel Policy and Industrial Transition—A Nordic Perspective
The article explores the interplay between policy, technological innovation and market dynamics. It highlights the challenges of combining biofuel policies for ‘greening’ transport with reviving the Nordic forestry industry. We find that strong policy initiatives have triggered a...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/14/2740 |
| _version_ | 1828136155858599936 |
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| author | Atle Midttun Knut Myrum Næss Proadpran Boonprasurd Piccini |
| author_facet | Atle Midttun Knut Myrum Næss Proadpran Boonprasurd Piccini |
| author_sort | Atle Midttun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article explores the interplay between policy, technological innovation and market dynamics. It highlights the challenges of combining biofuel policies for ‘greening’ transport with reviving the Nordic forestry industry. We find that strong policy initiatives have triggered a transition to biofuel in the three Nordic countries but have so far given little stimulus to forest-industrial revival. Instead, biofuel has created dynamic change in the petroleum sector, where retailers and refineries have adopted cheap imported biofuel to diversify out of an exclusive reliance on petroleum, leaving forest-based biofuel unable to compete. However, this does not mean that the forestry industry has remained stagnant. We find that parts of the Nordic forestry industry have staged an impressive revival, though one based predominantly on high value products, such as hygiene products and labels, and not on biofuel. We conclude that, while public policy may influence commercial conditions, it does not—in a market economy—dictate the industrial strategy, which is hard to predict, especially when it moves beyond existing sector-boundaries. However, the recent adjustment in biofuel policy, in part a response to ecological critique, may represent a more promising opportunity for forest-industrial participation in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T17:58:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30f8f9eb0da44e89b5f2022ecb340f59 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T17:58:23Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-30f8f9eb0da44e89b5f2022ecb340f592022-12-22T04:10:35ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732019-07-011214274010.3390/en12142740en12142740Biofuel Policy and Industrial Transition—A Nordic PerspectiveAtle Midttun0Knut Myrum Næss1Proadpran Boonprasurd Piccini2BI Norwegian Business School, Nydalsveien 37, 0484 Oslo, NorwayBI Norwegian Business School, Nydalsveien 37, 0484 Oslo, NorwayUniversity of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UKThe article explores the interplay between policy, technological innovation and market dynamics. It highlights the challenges of combining biofuel policies for ‘greening’ transport with reviving the Nordic forestry industry. We find that strong policy initiatives have triggered a transition to biofuel in the three Nordic countries but have so far given little stimulus to forest-industrial revival. Instead, biofuel has created dynamic change in the petroleum sector, where retailers and refineries have adopted cheap imported biofuel to diversify out of an exclusive reliance on petroleum, leaving forest-based biofuel unable to compete. However, this does not mean that the forestry industry has remained stagnant. We find that parts of the Nordic forestry industry have staged an impressive revival, though one based predominantly on high value products, such as hygiene products and labels, and not on biofuel. We conclude that, while public policy may influence commercial conditions, it does not—in a market economy—dictate the industrial strategy, which is hard to predict, especially when it moves beyond existing sector-boundaries. However, the recent adjustment in biofuel policy, in part a response to ecological critique, may represent a more promising opportunity for forest-industrial participation in the future.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/14/2740biofuelindustrial transitiontechnological innovationtransport policy climate policymarket dynamicsfigforest industrypetroleum industryrefiningretailinggreen transition |
| spellingShingle | Atle Midttun Knut Myrum Næss Proadpran Boonprasurd Piccini Biofuel Policy and Industrial Transition—A Nordic Perspective Energies biofuel industrial transition technological innovation transport policy climate policy market dynamics fig forest industry petroleum industry refining retailing green transition |
| title | Biofuel Policy and Industrial Transition—A Nordic Perspective |
| title_full | Biofuel Policy and Industrial Transition—A Nordic Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Biofuel Policy and Industrial Transition—A Nordic Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biofuel Policy and Industrial Transition—A Nordic Perspective |
| title_short | Biofuel Policy and Industrial Transition—A Nordic Perspective |
| title_sort | biofuel policy and industrial transition a nordic perspective |
| topic | biofuel industrial transition technological innovation transport policy climate policy market dynamics fig forest industry petroleum industry refining retailing green transition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/14/2740 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT atlemidttun biofuelpolicyandindustrialtransitionanordicperspective AT knutmyrumnæss biofuelpolicyandindustrialtransitionanordicperspective AT proadpranboonprasurdpiccini biofuelpolicyandindustrialtransitionanordicperspective |