Séminaire de recherche

Energy transitions are underway everywhere simultaneously, or so one wants to think. They are in fact resisted vigorously, reshaped surreptitiously, and stripped of meaning altogether upon closer examination in unfortunately many circumstances. The urgent need for rapid action imbues large powerful actors with deep pockets with greater ability to wrest control of processes labelled energy transitions, while more inclusive, democratic, locally situated approaches cause barely an occasional flutter if measured in capital investments and gigawatt hours of clean energy production and fossil fuel displacement. Governments in progressive countries incentivise dodgy investments in techno-solutionism by fossil incumbents more willingly than investing in competitive, existing renewable energy sources. The present is frustrating, the future is bleak, unless scholars find novel ways to fix things. A promising focus for actionable knowledge is on sectoral coupling, or the twin transition of digitalisation and decarbonisation where society electrifies everything and accelerates clean energy sources for electricity production. Twin transitions integrate energy systems away from separately governed sectors like transport and manufacturing, and towards connected systems characterised by energy flexibility and dynamic practices of intersectoral exchange. Tackled head-on, application of ‘just transition’ principles to twin transitions can build equity, justice and inclusion into how future energy systems are governed at multiple scales. This talk explores the nature of such energy governance research, identifies core principles and concepts at its heart, and argues for cross-sectoral, multi-scalar energy social science. In the face of societal crisis, it calls for socio-ecological scientists to engage with energy social science.