The role of network setting in exploring the feasibility of a substantial energy tax-subsidy scheme

Since about 1990, when sustainability became a key concept for a wide range of scientific disciplines, the need for multidisciplinary collaboration has increased. We present five illustrative cases from the long-standing environmental research work at the University of Groningen. The projects described are about hazardous materials risk, odor annoyance, energy scenario evaluation, climate decision analysis, and household consumption, respectively. The various case discussions emphasize experiences in research conceptualization, project design and execution, main findings, policy advice and surplus value, and difficulties met. Conclusions and recommendations are presented about the practice of multidisciplinary research. Finally, some challenges for research and development about environmental sustainability are discussed. Real-life issues hardly ever match traditional disciplinary approaches in applied scientific research. However, in the study of environmental problems the natural sciences have long been in the forefront—and rightly so. This is related to the need for assessing the state of the external environment in various respects. A focus on natural science analyses is traditionally linked to an effects-oriented kind of environmental policy. Knowledge of harmful effects makes one first of all want to combat, mitigate, or compensate for the effects. Thus, for quite a while, the human causation or aggragavation of environmental deterioration was underattended, not only in problem analysis but also in policy interventions.