Energy supply/ demand policy asymmetry: A meta-narrative review for a systems explanation

Asymmetry in energy supply/demand policy is persistent, as governments around the world develop detailed plans to decarbonize energy supply, but comprehensive plans to reduce energy demand are missing. Such policy asymmetry is a systemic problem, and is manifest in many social systems, e.g. asymmetry in healthcare between curing illnesses and investing in preventive healthcare. There is no existing systemic explanation of the energy policy asymmetry, however, corresponding systemic explanations in other domains may be transferable by analogy. This research is the first step in characterizing the mechanisms behind this asymmetry.