Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104548
Igor Makarov , Elizaveta Smolovik
The global low-carbon energy transition affects different country groups unevenly, creating significant opportunities for some and exposing others to risks. To capture this asymmetry, we develop an index of readiness to energy transition (RET index) that ranks 133 countries according to their potential gains and losses. The index includes two dimensions: transition assets, which are exposed positively, i.e., clean energy potential, abundance in critical metals and minerals, and negatively, namely dependence on fossil fuels and fossil fuel intensive industries, carbon intensity of economies, as well as adaptation potential. The resulting ranking of countries provides useful insights into countries' standing in low-carbon energy transition. Most of developed countries gain from high adaptation potential and limited carbon-intensive transition assets, making them resilient to low-carbon transformation. China occupies a unique position, benefiting from strong clean energy potential and dominance in the global critical materials landscape. On the contrary, many emerging and developing economies face high transition risks due to fossil fuel dependency, high overall carbon intensity and relatively weak technological and institutional capacities. The RET index thus highlights these asymmetries, emphasizing the importance of targeted international support and differentiating mitigation ambition levels under just energy transition framework.
{"title":"Winners and losers from the world going green: Index of country-level readiness to energy transition","authors":"Igor Makarov , Elizaveta Smolovik","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104548","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104548","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global low-carbon energy transition affects different country groups unevenly, creating significant opportunities for some and exposing others to risks. To capture this asymmetry, we develop an index of readiness to energy transition (RET index) that ranks 133 countries according to their potential gains and losses. The index includes two dimensions: transition assets, which are exposed positively, i.e., clean energy potential, abundance in critical metals and minerals, and negatively, namely dependence on fossil fuels and fossil fuel intensive industries, carbon intensity of economies, as well as adaptation potential. The resulting ranking of countries provides useful insights into countries' standing in low-carbon energy transition. Most of developed countries gain from high adaptation potential and limited carbon-intensive transition assets, making them resilient to low-carbon transformation. China occupies a unique position, benefiting from strong clean energy potential and dominance in the global critical materials landscape. On the contrary, many emerging and developing economies face high transition risks due to fossil fuel dependency, high overall carbon intensity and relatively weak technological and institutional capacities. The RET index thus highlights these asymmetries, emphasizing the importance of targeted international support and differentiating mitigation ambition levels under just energy transition framework.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104548"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104558
Mareike Tippe
The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is a well-established tool to assess the environmental impacts of products, services, and technologies. Despite of its standardization, the methodology lacks guidance and formalization for the consideration of behavioral effects impacting the energy consumption related to the usage of technologies. As digital and smart technologies are supposed to play a major role in the energy transition, a consideration of these effects is crucial for the comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts caused by these technologies. In order to address the lack of formalized approaches for the integration of behavioral effects into LCA studies, a qualitative interview study with experts from the social sciences and LCA practice was set up, identifying challenges and chances for the interdisciplinary alignment of the LCA methodology with social scientific approaches. On the basis of the content analysis, the study highlights barriers for the transfer of knowledge between the disciplines and offers insights on challenges faced by practitioners (e.g. lack of time and financing resources or skepticism experienced by peers). Social scientific perspectives and recommendations expressed by the researchers were aligned with the standardized steps of an LCA, providing insights on possible contributions of the social scientific methods to a more comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts caused by energy-using technologies. The interdisciplinary study thereby connects methodological and empirical insights from research practice, enabling the understanding of socio-technical and socio-environmental dependencies in order to assess environmental impacts of energy using technologies in a comprehensive way.
{"title":"From context to operationalization: Exploring chances for the integration of social scientific perspectives in life cycle assessments of energy technologies","authors":"Mareike Tippe","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is a well-established tool to assess the environmental impacts of products, services, and technologies. Despite of its standardization, the methodology lacks guidance and formalization for the consideration of behavioral effects impacting the energy consumption related to the usage of technologies. As digital and smart technologies are supposed to play a major role in the energy transition, a consideration of these effects is crucial for the comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts caused by these technologies. In order to address the lack of formalized approaches for the integration of behavioral effects into LCA studies, a qualitative interview study with experts from the social sciences and LCA practice was set up, identifying challenges and chances for the interdisciplinary alignment of the LCA methodology with social scientific approaches. On the basis of the content analysis, the study highlights barriers for the transfer of knowledge between the disciplines and offers insights on challenges faced by practitioners (e.g. lack of time and financing resources or skepticism experienced by peers). Social scientific perspectives and recommendations expressed by the researchers were aligned with the standardized steps of an LCA, providing insights on possible contributions of the social scientific methods to a more comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts caused by energy-using technologies. The interdisciplinary study thereby connects methodological and empirical insights from research practice, enabling the understanding of socio-technical and socio-environmental dependencies in order to assess environmental impacts of energy using technologies in a comprehensive way.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104558"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104561
Zhuohan Xie, Dan van der Horst, Matthew Lane
Understanding how multiple socio-technical systems transform in tandem has become an important frontier in sustainability transitions research. While the multi-level perspective has evolved into the multi-system perspective to conceptualise cross-system co-evolution, current studies largely overlook the relational micro-dynamics through which coordination and learning are enacted. To address this gap, this paper integrates experimental governance with the multi-system perspective to investigate how local experimentation can drive both single-system transitions and multi-system alignment. Drawing on policy analysis and 22 semi-structured interviews, we examine the Zhangjiakou wind-to-heat pilot in northern China, where wind power, district heating, electricity trading and emerging digital sectors became increasingly interconnected. Our analysis identifies a five-phase transition trajectory: dual-system coupling, incumbent system transition, emerging system reform, multi-system interaction, and diffusion effects. Our results show that experiments can become coordination infrastructures that temporarily bridge fragmented governance structures, enabling heterogeneous actors to build trust, co-produce knowledge, and adapt strategies through negotiation and iterative learning. These micro-level processes actively construct cross-system linkages, allowing local experiments to evolve into institutional arrangements that support regional low-carbon industrial diversification and economic upgrading. This study contributes to transition theory by grounding the micro-foundations of multi-system transitions and showing how experimentation can help overcome fragmented governance structures by enabling state-orchestrated coordination.
{"title":"From wind curtailment to decarbonising urban heat: Experimental governance and multi-system innovation in Zhangjiakou","authors":"Zhuohan Xie, Dan van der Horst, Matthew Lane","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how multiple socio-technical systems transform in tandem has become an important frontier in sustainability transitions research. While the multi-level perspective has evolved into the multi-system perspective to conceptualise cross-system co-evolution, current studies largely overlook the relational micro-dynamics through which coordination and learning are enacted. To address this gap, this paper integrates experimental governance with the multi-system perspective to investigate how local experimentation can drive both single-system transitions and multi-system alignment. Drawing on policy analysis and 22 semi-structured interviews, we examine the Zhangjiakou wind-to-heat pilot in northern China, where wind power, district heating, electricity trading and emerging digital sectors became increasingly interconnected. Our analysis identifies a five-phase transition trajectory: dual-system coupling, incumbent system transition, emerging system reform, multi-system interaction, and diffusion effects. Our results show that experiments can become coordination infrastructures that temporarily bridge fragmented governance structures, enabling heterogeneous actors to build trust, co-produce knowledge, and adapt strategies through negotiation and iterative learning. These micro-level processes actively construct cross-system linkages, allowing local experiments to evolve into institutional arrangements that support regional low-carbon industrial diversification and economic upgrading. This study contributes to transition theory by grounding the micro-foundations of multi-system transitions and showing how experimentation can help overcome fragmented governance structures by enabling state-orchestrated coordination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104561"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104563
Marfuga Iskandarova , Joao M. Uratani , Dylan D. Furszyfer Del Rio , Steve Griffiths , Hans Jakob Walnum , Benjamin K. Sovacool
This paper examines industrial decarbonisation in Norway, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States using sectoral policy styles as a theoretical lens. These countries are major fossil fuel producers with significant renewable energy resources, technical expertise, and financial capabilities to implement decarbonisation, each also representing distinct political systems. It asks: What are the most salient features and instruments mobilised by policymakers and regulators in designing industrial decarbonisation policies in these countries? The study goes beyond notions of geography, destiny, and politics to closely analyse the coalescence of actors, institutions, and policy instruments shaping industrial decarbonisation in each country. While all three countries share similar ambitious climate targets, their policy styles and implementation approaches differ considerably. Norway's approach emphasises technological neutrality, carbon pricing, and collaborative policy development. The UAE's policy style is characterised by centralised decision-making, a strong emphasis on international engagement, and the leading role of government-owned anchor industries. The United States exhibits a more complex multi-level governance system, with significant variations across states, a reliance on market-based incentives, and a historically limited role for industrial planning. The findings suggest that national policy styles and regime characteristics strongly influence the implementation of industrial decarbonisation policies, despite the increasing convergence of policy formulation due to international agreements and the exchange of best practices. Acknowledging the persistent divergence in implementation due to unique national contexts and institutional settings contributes to a better understanding of the factors driving industrial decarbonisation and offers insights for effective policy design and implementation in different political and economic contexts.
{"title":"Beyond geography, destiny, and politics: Exploring policy styles for industrial decarbonisation in Norway, the United Arab Emirates and the United States","authors":"Marfuga Iskandarova , Joao M. Uratani , Dylan D. Furszyfer Del Rio , Steve Griffiths , Hans Jakob Walnum , Benjamin K. Sovacool","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines industrial decarbonisation in Norway, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States using sectoral policy styles as a theoretical lens. These countries are major fossil fuel producers with significant renewable energy resources, technical expertise, and financial capabilities to implement decarbonisation, each also representing distinct political systems. It asks: What are the most salient features and instruments mobilised by policymakers and regulators in designing industrial decarbonisation policies in these countries? The study goes beyond notions of geography, destiny, and politics to closely analyse the coalescence of actors, institutions, and policy instruments shaping industrial decarbonisation in each country. While all three countries share similar ambitious climate targets, their policy styles and implementation approaches differ considerably. Norway's approach emphasises technological neutrality, carbon pricing, and collaborative policy development. The UAE's policy style is characterised by centralised decision-making, a strong emphasis on international engagement, and the leading role of government-owned anchor industries. The United States exhibits a more complex multi-level governance system, with significant variations across states, a reliance on market-based incentives, and a historically limited role for industrial planning. The findings suggest that national policy styles and regime characteristics strongly influence the implementation of industrial decarbonisation policies, despite the increasing convergence of policy formulation due to international agreements and the exchange of best practices. Acknowledging the persistent divergence in implementation due to unique national contexts and institutional settings contributes to a better understanding of the factors driving industrial decarbonisation and offers insights for effective policy design and implementation in different political and economic contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104563"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104557
Vigya Sharma , Julia Loginova
Indigenous co-ownership of renewable energy projects is increasingly proposed as a tangible pathway towards economic reconciliation, enabling Indigenous communities to assert sovereignty over their lands and land use decision-making. This is despite limited empirical understanding of the value of Indigenous co-ownership, how and where it exists, and what its on-the-ground influence may be in advancing Indigenous self-determination and economic resilience. To address this gap, this paper offers a first-of-its-kind foundational, evidence-based knowledge of the state of play on Indigenous co-ownership of large renewable energy projects. We present an original dataset, comprising 61 projects carefully curated to establish a much-needed global baseline on the spatial and temporal trends and patterns across technology, project size, development stage and equity share. Overall, we find evidence of growth in the number of renewable energy projects with Indigenous equity over the last three decades across four jurisdictions. Most projects in Canada (mainly wind) and New Zealand (geothermal) are operational, while many in Australia (mostly solar) and the US (transmission) are in the planning stages. Indigenous equity shares range from 3.2% to full ownership, with minority ownership the most prevalent. Our findings contribute insights into the emerging modes of Indigenous peoples' engagement with the low-carbon energy development globally. As an open-access project registry, it provides the necessary evidence to shape further critical deliberations on the role of co-ownership in the energy transition as a value proposition for First Nations communities. The paper concludes with areas requiring further research, including the need for contextually nuanced grounded assessments of how co-ownership or equity shares may influence Indigenous groups' engagement with renewable energy developments on their lands.
{"title":"How are Indigenous groups participating in large renewable energy project co-ownership? Mapping global progress","authors":"Vigya Sharma , Julia Loginova","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Indigenous co-ownership of renewable energy projects is increasingly proposed as a tangible pathway towards economic reconciliation, enabling Indigenous communities to assert sovereignty over their lands and land use decision-making. This is despite limited empirical understanding of the value of Indigenous co-ownership, how and where it exists, and what its on-the-ground influence may be in advancing Indigenous self-determination and economic resilience. To address this gap, this paper offers a first-of-its-kind foundational, evidence-based knowledge of the state of play on Indigenous co-ownership of large renewable energy projects. We present an original dataset, comprising 61 projects carefully curated to establish a much-needed global baseline on the spatial and temporal trends and patterns across technology, project size, development stage and equity share. Overall, we find evidence of growth in the number of renewable energy projects with Indigenous equity over the last three decades across four jurisdictions. Most projects in Canada (mainly wind) and New Zealand (geothermal) are operational, while many in Australia (mostly solar) and the US (transmission) are in the planning stages. Indigenous equity shares range from 3.2% to full ownership, with minority ownership the most prevalent. Our findings contribute insights into the emerging modes of Indigenous peoples' engagement with the low-carbon energy development globally. As an open-access project registry, it provides the necessary evidence to shape further critical deliberations on the role of co-ownership in the energy transition as a value proposition for First Nations communities. The paper concludes with areas requiring further research, including the need for contextually nuanced grounded assessments of how co-ownership or equity shares may influence Indigenous groups' engagement with renewable energy developments on their lands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104557"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104553
Camille Belmin , Charlotte Sophia Bez , Zakia Soomauroo
What does it mean to produce climate science in 2026? Building on the dialogical approach of Fenner and Harcourt [1], this paper explores how positionalities and emotional landscapes shape the work of three female researchers in climate science. Through a collective, reflexive dialogue, we confront the personal and structural tensions embedded in global climate science, examining power asymmetries, the tokenization of diversity, and the hegemonic dominance of quantification and masculinized norms. Our reflections draw attention to how scientific practices often, even unintentionally, perpetuate the very injustices they aim to address. These inherent exclusionary practices lead us to the idea of academia as a border. By weaving together anecdotal recollections and critical theory, we illuminate how situatedness matters, not just methodologically but politically. We critique the neoliberal and heteronormative underpinnings of academic institutions and propose a future-oriented agenda grounded in relationality, emotional honesty, and epistemic inclusivity. Our concluding recommendations aim to shift academic practice from extractive performance metrics to spaces of resistance, care, and collective transformation. As part of this, we bring a reflective tool inspired by Audre Lorde's [2]Questionnaire to Oneself to invite deeper engagement with the contradictions and silences within our own scholarly work.
{"title":"Deconstructing the ivory tower: The liminal space between margins and centers in climate research","authors":"Camille Belmin , Charlotte Sophia Bez , Zakia Soomauroo","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>What does it mean to produce climate science in 2026? Building on the dialogical approach of Fenner and Harcourt <span><span>[1]</span></span>, this paper explores how positionalities and emotional landscapes shape the work of three female researchers in climate science. Through a collective, reflexive dialogue, we confront the personal and structural tensions embedded in global climate science, examining power asymmetries, the tokenization of diversity, and the hegemonic dominance of quantification and masculinized norms. Our reflections draw attention to how scientific practices often, even unintentionally, perpetuate the very injustices they aim to address. These inherent exclusionary practices lead us to the idea of academia as a border. By weaving together anecdotal recollections and critical theory, we illuminate how situatedness matters, not just methodologically but politically. We critique the neoliberal and heteronormative underpinnings of academic institutions and propose a future-oriented agenda grounded in relationality, emotional honesty, and epistemic inclusivity. Our concluding recommendations aim to shift academic practice from extractive performance metrics to spaces of resistance, care, and collective transformation. As part of this, we bring a reflective tool inspired by Audre Lorde's <span><span>[2]</span></span> <em>Questionnaire to Oneself</em> to invite deeper engagement with the contradictions and silences within our own scholarly work.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104553"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104549
Fiona Bare , Jeff D. Colgan , Alexander S. Gard-Murray
Did firms accelerate decarbonization as a result of the 2015 Paris Agreement, particularly in industries where low-carbon options were technologically feasible? Paris marked a milestone in climate cooperation, but its effectiveness depends on the behavior of firms, which generate most global carbon emissions. Prior studies disagree on whether international agreements influence corporate action, and few analyze climate accords directly. This paper examines whether the Paris Agreement shifted corporate strategy in “convertible” industries, focusing on the automotive sector. Our analysis covers twelve global automakers, responsible for almost 80% of worldwide vehicle production, using six categories of primary evidence to assess strategic change. We find only limited evidence of decarbonization strategies tied to the Paris Agreement, suggesting that firm responses were at best incremental rather than transformative. These findings challenge optimistic accounts of the Paris Agreement's influence and call for continued efforts to understand the limits of international agreements in driving firm behavior to address climate change.
{"title":"Driving decarbonization? Corporate responses to the Paris climate agreement in the global automotive sector","authors":"Fiona Bare , Jeff D. Colgan , Alexander S. Gard-Murray","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Did firms accelerate decarbonization as a result of the 2015 Paris Agreement, particularly in industries where low-carbon options were technologically feasible? Paris marked a milestone in climate cooperation, but its effectiveness depends on the behavior of firms, which generate most global carbon emissions. Prior studies disagree on whether international agreements influence corporate action, and few analyze climate accords directly. This paper examines whether the Paris Agreement shifted corporate strategy in “convertible” industries, focusing on the automotive sector. Our analysis covers twelve global automakers, responsible for almost 80% of worldwide vehicle production, using six categories of primary evidence to assess strategic change. We find only limited evidence of decarbonization strategies tied to the Paris Agreement, suggesting that firm responses were at best incremental rather than transformative. These findings challenge optimistic accounts of the Paris Agreement's influence and call for continued efforts to understand the limits of international agreements in driving firm behavior to address climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104549"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104564
Raymond Rui Zhu , Jessie Ma
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a tool with a variety of uses to aid the energy transition; however, careful implementation is required to avoid ethical faults which may arise. Numerous papers exist examining AI's applications in power systems, AI's energy consumption, and ethical flaws of AI within non-energy fields such as predictive policing. However, there lacks comprehensive analyses of the ethical vulnerabilities of AI in electricity systems, as well as the social and political factors relevant to equitable AI development for power systems. A comprehensive literature review was conducted identifying three strands of research: AI's use cases in the energy transition, AI's energetic demands, and AI ethics. Applying an AI ethics framework, the paper uncovers potential ethical vulnerabilities and provides relevant case studies for energy-sector governance. The paper further examines estimates of AI energy use and existing critiques of AI ethics. Finally, the energy transition is analyzed through a critical political economy lens, exposing structural tensions in how AI is deployed in electricity systems. Future directions for research are discussed to guide this emerging field, avoid the proliferation of blind spots, promote the creation of equitable AI systems in electricity, and to decrease the environmental impact of AI adoption.
{"title":"Artificial intelligence and the energy transition: Towards ethical and equitable future power systems","authors":"Raymond Rui Zhu , Jessie Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104564","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104564","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a tool with a variety of uses to aid the energy transition; however, careful implementation is required to avoid ethical faults which may arise. Numerous papers exist examining AI's applications in power systems, AI's energy consumption, and ethical flaws of AI within non-energy fields such as predictive policing. However, there lacks comprehensive analyses of the ethical vulnerabilities of AI in electricity systems, as well as the social and political factors relevant to equitable AI development for power systems. A comprehensive literature review was conducted identifying three strands of research: AI's use cases in the energy transition, AI's energetic demands, and AI ethics. Applying an AI ethics framework, the paper uncovers potential ethical vulnerabilities and provides relevant case studies for energy-sector governance. The paper further examines estimates of AI energy use and existing critiques of AI ethics. Finally, the energy transition is analyzed through a critical political economy lens, exposing structural tensions in how AI is deployed in electricity systems. Future directions for research are discussed to guide this emerging field, avoid the proliferation of blind spots, promote the creation of equitable AI systems in electricity, and to decrease the environmental impact of AI adoption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104564"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104532
Benjamin Kirchler , Andrea Kollmann , Johannes Reichl , Jed J. Cohen
Achieving the European Union's ambitious climate change targets will require substantial additional investment, particularly from private citizens. Despite the considerable potential for citizens to participate in sustainable initiatives, there is a significant gap between their expressed interest and actual investment behaviour. Crowdfunding has emerged as a promising method to reduce barriers to citizen participation, but the persistent attitude-behaviour gap remains a critical obstacle. We analyse how emotional attachment can bridge this gap and enhance the success of crowdfunding in community energy projects through an experimental design involving a representative sample of 3562 European citizens. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two sustainable crowdfunding conditions. In the football condition, they were exposed to a campaign aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of a football stadium, while the control group viewed a campaign for a neutral building (school or library). Participants were then asked to indicate both their likelihood to participate (LTP) and their willingness to pay (WTP) for the campaign. Our results show that the interaction between emotional attachment and the football condition significantly increases LTP by around ten percentage points and leads to a higher WTP among fans. Consistent with the Theory of Planned Behaviour, prior knowledge of crowdfunding, environmental awareness, and social norms significantly influence investment decisions. Overall, the findings suggest that communities of interest—formed around shared passions rather than geography—are more effective motivators than communities of place, offering a novel pathway to mobilise citizen finance for the energy transition.
{"title":"Belonging drives investment intentions: Emotional attachment in sustainable crowdfunding for community energy projects","authors":"Benjamin Kirchler , Andrea Kollmann , Johannes Reichl , Jed J. Cohen","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104532","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving the European Union's ambitious climate change targets will require substantial additional investment, particularly from private citizens. Despite the considerable potential for citizens to participate in sustainable initiatives, there is a significant gap between their expressed interest and actual investment behaviour. Crowdfunding has emerged as a promising method to reduce barriers to citizen participation, but the persistent attitude-behaviour gap remains a critical obstacle. We analyse how emotional attachment can bridge this gap and enhance the success of crowdfunding in community energy projects through an experimental design involving a representative sample of 3562 European citizens. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two sustainable crowdfunding conditions. In the football condition, they were exposed to a campaign aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of a football stadium, while the control group viewed a campaign for a neutral building (school or library). Participants were then asked to indicate both their likelihood to participate (LTP) and their willingness to pay (WTP) for the campaign. Our results show that the interaction between emotional attachment and the football condition significantly increases LTP by around ten percentage points and leads to a higher WTP among fans. Consistent with the Theory of Planned Behaviour, prior knowledge of crowdfunding, environmental awareness, and social norms significantly influence investment decisions. Overall, the findings suggest that communities of interest—formed around shared passions rather than geography—are more effective motivators than communities of place, offering a novel pathway to mobilise citizen finance for the energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104532"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104560
Catharina Lüder , Lennart Zinck , Ariane Debourdeau , Friederike Rohde
Significant changes are underway to increase citizens’ and local actors’ participation in Germany’s energy transition. This raises questions about the potential for cooperation between municipalities and citizens, as well as the role of energy infrastructure in facilitating it. Drawing on qualitative interviews conducted in two municipalities in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, this paper illustrates how various approaches to social innovation in energy (SIE) and infrastructure visibility interact to create distinct opportunities for cooperation. Drawing on literature on SIE and a relational understanding of infrastructure, this paper discusses the role of infrastructuring, emphasising how sociomaterial relations both give shape to, and are shaped by new ways of doing, organising, and thinking about energy. We understand infrastructuring as the ongoing, situated formation of sociomaterial relations. It is a means of bringing about or coping with social change at the local level that can either enable or restrict participation. We examine two approaches to infrastructuring. In the first, renewable energy infrastructures were made invisible to citizens in a former mining village. In the second, the visibility of a wind farm was used to experiment with new forms of participation in three ‘wind villages’. These approaches give rise to different patterns of cooperation by rendering sociomaterial infrastructures visible or invisible to local actors. Our analysis shows that visible infrastructure stabilises sociomaterial relations, encouraging active cooperation between citizens and municipalities during local energy transitions. It also clarifies the role of artefacts and objects in shaping and stabilising SIE in rural areas.
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