iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The paper is available open access via this link: doi.org/10.5871/jba/... For more on the work of the Leeds Relational Energy Group, visit: relationalenergy.leeds.ac.uk

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It does so in the context of The Labour Party’s 2024 “Change” Manifesto and its aim to ‘Make Britain a clean energy superpower’. We argue this energy transition must result in fairer, greener and more inclusive societies, and point to opportunities for and risks to delivering on that ambition.

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Drawing on our empirical work from across the Leeds Relational Energy Group (LREG), this co-authored paper explores this challenge through conceptual frameworks of social change as offered by Mariana Mazzucato and Torsten Bell.

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Common Wealth @cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

✍🏻 NEW PAPER ✍🏻 Should we govern the energy transition through bold ‘Mission Led’ government or pragmatic ‘Radical Incrementalism’? This question frames our latest paper, published by @britishacademy.bsky.social in a collection using SHAPE disciplines to improve governance for rapid decarbonisation.

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🚨 NEW: GB Energy will install rooftop solar panels on around 400 schools & hospitals in a new £200 mn investment. This could lower energy bills for these crucial public services while giving communities a real stake in the UK’s clean energy future. But why stop there? 🧵

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Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

It meant a lot to me that the room was filled with colleagues from across campus and beyond, with both current and former students, and with my family and friends. Thanks also to those who have sent such generous emails on the lecture itself, I’m excited to see where new collaborations may lead!

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Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Yeah so, last Thursday… this happened! A sincere and very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who made the time to come along to my inaugural professorial lecture @universityofleeds.bsky.social, entitled: “If liquid modern life is rubbish, what should we do about it? Sociological fragments”

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Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds @sspatleeds.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

The School of SSP would like to congratulate @profmarkdavis.bsky.social on his lecture ‘If liquid modern life is rubbish, what should we do about it? Sociological fragments’ delivered at the ‘Faculty Inaugural Lecture Series’ on Thursday 13th March. Read more here: essl.leeds.ac.uk/education-so...

essl.leeds.ac.uk

Professor Mark Davis delivers seventh Faculty Inaugural Lecture

The Faculty was delighted to host Professor Davis' lecture in celebration of his impressive research career.

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Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds @sspatleeds.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Faculty of Social Sciences Inaugural Lecture happens today at 5pm with @profmarkdavis.bsky.social #research #socialsciences #uol

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Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Back in 2018, I led a project that co-created Community Municipal Investments (CMIs), the model behind local climate bonds for UK councils. This week, one of the project’s original case studies, Bristol City Council, launched its first CMI offer 🎉 More below: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Bristol council's green investment scheme to fund climate action

The council plans to utilise community investment to fund green projects across the city.

Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Thanks Stephen! It’s fantastic to see Bristol CC use the model they also helped to co-create as one of the original council case studies in the Financing for Society project: baumaninstitute.leeds.ac.uk/research/fin...

baumaninstitute.leeds.ac.uk

Financing for Society | The Bauman Institute

Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Better get writing this then… Very honoured to have been asked to give an inaugural lecture as part of this series to celebrate social science expertise @universityofleeds.bsky.social Further details on my lecture and how to register a place via the link below:

Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Thanks to all @lssi.bsky.social for the invitation to contribute to this event, a window into some really inspiring research by social scientists in collaboration with a range of impact partners. See below:

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Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds @sspatleeds.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Wishing our followers a restful and restorative break. We will be back online in the second week of January. Please see below for a range of services available for those on campus over the holidays.

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Prof Matt Hannon @matthannon.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Our @ukerc.bsky.social Social Relations of Energy Retrofit team, led by @drdonalbrown.bsky.social, have published a paper arguing that by paying attention to relational dynamics, we can better design retrofit policies that work with the grain of existing household practices and social relations.

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Prof Lucie Middlemiss @luciemidd.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Here is a brilliant Christmas gift for you, from @drdonalbrown.bsky.social. The next instalment in our #relational approach to #retrofit story. In this new paper Donal looks specifically at the way in which relational approaches can be used to craft policy. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

Rethinking retrofit: Relational insights for the design of residential energy efficiency policy

The ‘retrofit’ of energy efficiency, low carbon heating and renewable microgeneration measures in homes is a major focus for energy and climate policy…

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relationalenergy.leeds.ac.uk

To review all the papers published by the team - based at Leeds, Strathclyde, Sussex and York - on a relational approach to retrofit, and wider topics in energy research and social science, check out the Library pages on the Leeds Relational Energy Group site: relationalenergy.leeds.ac.uk/library/

Library - Leeds Relational Energy Group

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Led by the brilliant @drdonalbrown.bsky.social, this is the latest paper from the Whole Person, Whole Place team brought together by a flex fund grant from @ukerc.bsky.social - which we have used to establish a new subfield of sociologically-informed energy research on #netzero challenges 🙌

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We show how energy policy can embrace a relational approach that leverages sociological insight to reduce the frictions and potential exit points for customers on the retrofit journey, building on established ‘strong ties’ to people and place to foster trust in unfamiliar contexts and interactions.

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We frame the challenge around an idealised retrofit customer journey, noting the amount of “relational work” needed at each stage - and how UK energy policy and most finance options are still locked into a problematic ‘rational actor’ mindset.

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Rethinking retrofit: Relational insights for the design of residential energy efficiency policy

Ever received an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for your home and thought “well that looks real expensive and a lot of hassle: where do I start?” There’s a sociological solution to this major challenge of domestic retrofit in the UK. New paper out today: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

The ‘retrofit’ of energy efficiency, low carbon heating and renewable microgeneration measures in homes is a major focus for energy and climate policy…

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Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Love this! I’ve benefitted hugely from the support of LSSI and Policy Leeds in working with Leeds City Council and a range of other local government partners, and this is exactly the kind of framework to accelerate that vital civic collaboration. My congrats to all involved 🙌

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Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds @sspatleeds.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Our next School Research Seminar will be a hybrid event on Weds 4 December at 12:30. With @cdsleeds.bsky.social, we'll be celebrating the launch of Dr Claudia Coveney's "Collective Action and Civil Society". Save the date - we'll share all details next week! emerald.com/insight/publ... #DHM2024

On a black background, green and white text reads: "Collective Action and Civil Society. Disability Advocacy in EU Decision-Making. Claudia Harris Coveney." Enclosed in a white circle with the text "Emerald Points".
Green patterned graphics: below is a semi-circle comprised of large green dots enclosed by interlinking green circles. Above is a similar graphic but the pattern is much smaller and more condensed.

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Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Come along and hear some distinguished guests discuss the latest book of our three-volume series on Zygmunt Bauman’s Selected Writings, hosted by Prof Matt Dawson (Glasgow) on behalf of @bsatheory.bsky.social All details below:

Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

If you want to know more about Zygmunt Bauman’s sociology, and how his biography shaped the kinds of questions he asked, then a good place to start is the ‘Introduction’ to “History & Politics: Selected Writings vol.II”, for which I was the lead editor: www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...

Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Perhaps the article I’m most proud of is ‘Hermeneutics contra Fundamentalism: Zygmunt Bauman’s method for thinking in dark times’ (2020) on how, faced with a rise of populism, the need to resist the closing down of dialogue in a world of communication is our most urgent task: doi.org/10.1177/0725...

Mark Davis @profmarkdavis.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

My work on local climate bonds and retrofit is driven by insights from sociological theory, in particular the work of Zygmunt Bauman. I established the Bauman Institute @sspatleeds.bsky.social in 2010, writing and editing several books and articles on this vital approach to understanding our world

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Prof Lucie Middlemiss @luciemidd.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

I'm second author on this theory paper led by @profmarkdavis.bsky.social out today, after many hours round my kitchen table eating leftovers, and an epic review process. Very proud to have worked with you on this Mark! Read it for our full sociological take on a #relational approach to #retrofit.

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Marie Claire Brisbois @mcbrisbois.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

This paper was a labour of love/relentless drive to make sure the world knows that it's social relationships that make home energy retrofits happen and not (just) the right economic incentives. #retrofit #energy #energypolicy

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Elsewhere, I’ve done the theoretical work to interpret data from empirical projects on green finance innovations and energy efficiency interventions. My latest book is Crowdfunding and the Democratization of Finance (2021, Bristol UP): bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/crowdfunding...

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Cheers Iain, good to be in touch!

YouTube video by Green Finance Institute

I’m better known as the academic lead in co-creating the Community Municipal Investment (CMI) product, brought to UK market as “Local Climate Bonds” With Abundance, GFI and local council partners, the model so far has raised +£10M for place-based net zero projects youtu.be/aiX04L9a4IM?...

youtu.be

Local Climate Bonds

To find out more about this research agenda, which brings together insights from sociology, heterodox economics and environmental social science, check out our work at the Leeds Relational Energy Group (LREG): relationalenergy.leeds.ac.uk