Transferability of demand-side policies between countries

The development of methods to determine the transferability of policies between countries has received limited attention in the energy policy field. Previous research has focussed on theoretical or less formal determinants of energy policy transferability, rather than providing practical analytical tools. The paper presents a practical framework for analysing the transferability of demand-side management (DSM) policies, and to identify where policies are transferable at different levels of policy transfer. The paper tests the framework to determine the transferability of different types of DSM policy across 30 countries and 36 sub-national states. The method is a contextual-based analysis that matches up countries/states that have a comparable context at the proposed three levels of policy transfer: direct copying, adaptation and inspiration. The paper utilises Multi-Criteria Decision-Making analysis with 17 DSM experts to validate the breakdown of contextual factors at different levels of policy transfer. Four groups of countries are identified where policy transfer is possible at the adaptation level and seven groups of countries/states are identified at the inspiration level. Overall, the paper argues that context is key and the level of contextual detail included in methods to analyse energy policy transferability will affect the level of policy transfer that is appropriate. •A practical framework to determine energy policy transferability is proposed.•The proposed policy transfer levels are: direct copying, adaptation and inspiration.•Transfer levels relate to contextual factors, such as market structure and climate.•Data on successful demand-side policy experiences in 30 countries are used.•Transfer is possible at the adaptation and inspiration levels for identified countries.