Marius Schwarz, project manager of Nexus-e, published an article on the Energy Blog discussing the role of computational models in policymaking.
In this article, Marius raised the questions:
When computational models can evaluate the impact of policies objectively, why are they rarely used in public policymaking? What are the challenges of using model-based scenarios, and how can we address the mistrust in scientific models?
He argued that reasons include:
- The quality of the model inputs is not always guaranteed.
- Models are often “black boxes”.
- Models often lack extensive validation.
- Models typically neglect behavioural irrationality.
- Models tend to oversimplify reality.
To overcome these limitations, Nexus-e is built based on the principles of transparency, modularity, and predefined interfaces. With these principles, it is envisioned to facilitate the integration of model-based scenarios into societal discussions and public policymaking.
