Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-11DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104602
Katharina Reidl
The building sector is responsible for one third of carbon emissions globally. To reach NetZero targets, decarbonisation efforts must be accelerated. In societies with a large proportion of rental housing, the decision to retrofit lies in the hand of landlords. Depending on regulation, finances but also personal values, landlords are thus largely responsible to invest in advancing building energy efficiency. This focus can overlook tenants' needs. Described as the landlord-tenant dilemma, literature has long described the issue but overlooked a third influence on investment decision-making, namely property managers. Their relationship with both sides offers valuable insights in the needs and perspectives of landlords and tenants. This study comprises semi-structured interviews in Switzerland to investigate the interplay of landlords, property managers and tenants in the energy-efficient retrofit of buildings. The results show that property management is a valuable point of contact for policy makers, as they provide landlords with retrofit investment options and are in charge of applying for subsidies. Further, they receive insights from tenants and have a better assessment of needs inside the building. Policy makers should address them with coherent subsidy schemes, regulations and emphasise the importance of long-term investment returns of energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits.
{"title":"The landlord - property manager - tenant trilemma: Exploring the decision-making processes in decarbonising the rental housing market","authors":"Katharina Reidl","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The building sector is responsible for one third of carbon emissions globally. To reach NetZero targets, decarbonisation efforts must be accelerated. In societies with a large proportion of rental housing, the decision to retrofit lies in the hand of landlords. Depending on regulation, finances but also personal values, landlords are thus largely responsible to invest in advancing building energy efficiency. This focus can overlook tenants' needs. Described as the landlord-tenant dilemma, literature has long described the issue but overlooked a third influence on investment decision-making, namely property managers. Their relationship with both sides offers valuable insights in the needs and perspectives of landlords and tenants. This study comprises semi-structured interviews in Switzerland to investigate the interplay of landlords, property managers and tenants in the energy-efficient retrofit of buildings. The results show that property management is a valuable point of contact for policy makers, as they provide landlords with retrofit investment options and are in charge of applying for subsidies. Further, they receive insights from tenants and have a better assessment of needs inside the building. Policy makers should address them with coherent subsidy schemes, regulations and emphasise the importance of long-term investment returns of energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104602"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146174633","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104551
D. Nilsson , L. Romanach , E. Frederiks , Chi-Hsiang Wang , J. Gardner
There is an urgent need for scalable interventions that can shift societal norms and human behaviour to address the global sustainability crisis. With its extensive reach and cultural influence, mass media is a critical yet underutilised tool in this effort. This paper presents a novel, real-world study to explore the effectiveness of promoting residential energy efficiency through a reality-style television show. Behavioural science principles were embedded throughout the 8-part television series, with a longitudinal mixed-method design used to evaluate the potential impact on viewers over time. Statistical analysis of the results suggested that watching the show was positively associated with an increase in viewers' self-reported desire for homes with an energy star rating above the minimum standard, with this effect strengthening based on the amount of content viewed. Qualitative insights from semi-structured focus group discussions also supported this potential positive influence of the TV series. Overall, this study demonstrates a practical, real-world example of how combining behavioural science with entertainment and mass media can support behaviour change, while also providing a framework to inform the design of future interventions to promote sustainable behaviours at scale.
{"title":"Lights, camera, behaviour change: Mass media as a tool for mainstreaming sustainability","authors":"D. Nilsson , L. Romanach , E. Frederiks , Chi-Hsiang Wang , J. Gardner","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is an urgent need for scalable interventions that can shift societal norms and human behaviour to address the global sustainability crisis. With its extensive reach and cultural influence, mass media is a critical yet underutilised tool in this effort. This paper presents a novel, real-world study to explore the effectiveness of promoting residential energy efficiency through a reality-style television show. Behavioural science principles were embedded throughout the 8-part television series, with a longitudinal mixed-method design used to evaluate the potential impact on viewers over time. Statistical analysis of the results suggested that watching the show was positively associated with an increase in viewers' self-reported desire for homes with an energy star rating above the minimum standard, with this effect strengthening based on the amount of content viewed. Qualitative insights from semi-structured focus group discussions also supported this potential positive influence of the TV series. Overall, this study demonstrates a practical, real-world example of how combining behavioural science with entertainment and mass media can support behaviour change, while also providing a framework to inform the design of future interventions to promote sustainable behaviours at scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104551"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078827","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104544
Sukanya Khar , Kaveri Iychettira
Large-scale solar park development has accelerated in India over the last decade, with multiple 500 MW+ parks being built as part of the country's effort to decarbonise its electricity system. These projects require thousands of acres of contiguous land. However, land is a socially embedded resource with no ‘empty’ land available that does not already serve some purpose. Drawing on field research and qualitative interviews across three sites—Bhadla and Fatehgarh in Rajasthan, and Pavagada in Karnataka—we analyse the distributional injustices that accompany large-scale solar park development. We compare two land tenure arrangements: private agricultural land and government-owned land that local communities use for farming and grazing. Using the social-ecological systems framework, we conceptualise these tenure arrangements in terms of inequalities in land ownership, the importance of the resource to different socio-economic groups, and the property regimes under which solar parks are developed. We find, first, that ownership of private agricultural land in Karnataka enables farmers to claim monetary compensation. This is in contrast with solar parks in Rajasthan, where the absence of land-use records and formal titles prevents some farmers and agropastoral groups from accessing any monetary benefits. Second, agropastoral groups and landless households—often from marginalised caste groups—are disadvantaged across all cases, as they lose access to common property resources for livestock rearing as well as to private farmland for wage labour. These findings highlight how diverse land tenure systems shape, and often deepen, unequal distributional outcomes from India's solar transition.
{"title":"No empty land: Comparing distributional outcomes of solar parks across land tenure regimes in India","authors":"Sukanya Khar , Kaveri Iychettira","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104544","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104544","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Large-scale solar park development has accelerated in India over the last decade, with multiple 500 MW<strong>+</strong> parks being built as part of the country's effort to decarbonise its electricity system. These projects require thousands of acres of contiguous land. However, land is a socially embedded resource with no ‘empty’ land available that does not already serve some purpose. Drawing on field research and qualitative interviews across three sites—Bhadla and Fatehgarh in Rajasthan, and Pavagada in Karnataka—we analyse the distributional injustices that accompany large-scale solar park development. We compare two land tenure arrangements: private agricultural land and government-owned land that local communities use for farming and grazing. Using the social-ecological systems framework, we conceptualise these tenure arrangements in terms of inequalities in land ownership, the importance of the resource to different socio-economic groups, and the property regimes under which solar parks are developed. We find, first, that ownership of private agricultural land in Karnataka enables farmers to claim monetary compensation. This is in contrast with solar parks in Rajasthan, where the absence of land-use records and formal titles prevents some farmers and agropastoral groups from accessing any monetary benefits. Second, agropastoral groups and landless households—often from marginalised caste groups—are disadvantaged across all cases, as they lose access to common property resources for livestock rearing as well as to private farmland for wage labour. These findings highlight how diverse land tenure systems shape, and often deepen, unequal distributional outcomes from India's solar transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104544"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079437","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104555
Sara Lopez
This study examines patterns of adoption and outcomes associated with Community Choice Aggregations (CCAs) in the San Francisco Bay Area and focuses on how customer participation and electricity rates are correlated to race and income. CCAs are often promoted as tools for advancing clean energy access, yet limited research has examined whether participation and rate outcomes vary across socioeconomic contexts. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines bivariate correlation and regression analysis with qualitative insights from interviews with six industry professionals representing CCAs, the local investor-owned utility (PG&E), and a regional trade association (CalCCA). The results suggest that CCAs generally provided higher renewable energy content at lower electricity rates than the investor-owned utility, particularly at the baseline 50% renewable energy tier. At the 100% renewable energy tier, total electricity rates were typically modestly higher. Customer participation rates were positively associated with both racial diversity and median household income, although interview participants emphasized that variation in customer awareness, trust, and understanding of CCAs also shapes decisions to opt-out from CCA enrollment. Overall, the findings show no evidence to suggest that automatic CCA enrollment at the 50% renewable energy tier systematically disadvantaged historically marginalized groups based on race or income. Instead, the results suggest broadly equitable access to more renewable electricity across the region and highlight the importance of public education, community engagement, and institutional trust in sustaining participation and supporting an inclusive clean energy transition.
{"title":"Community power in practice: Socioeconomic factors associated with adoption and outcomes of Community Choice Aggregations in California's San Francisco Bay Area","authors":"Sara Lopez","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104555","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines patterns of adoption and outcomes associated with Community Choice Aggregations (CCAs) in the San Francisco Bay Area and focuses on how customer participation and electricity rates are correlated to race and income. CCAs are often promoted as tools for advancing clean energy access, yet limited research has examined whether participation and rate outcomes vary across socioeconomic contexts. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines bivariate correlation and regression analysis with qualitative insights from interviews with six industry professionals representing CCAs, the local investor-owned utility (PG&E), and a regional trade association (CalCCA). The results suggest that CCAs generally provided higher renewable energy content at lower electricity rates than the investor-owned utility, particularly at the baseline 50% renewable energy tier. At the 100% renewable energy tier, total electricity rates were typically modestly higher. Customer participation rates were positively associated with both racial diversity and median household income, although interview participants emphasized that variation in customer awareness, trust, and understanding of CCAs also shapes decisions to opt-out from CCA enrollment. Overall, the findings show no evidence to suggest that automatic CCA enrollment at the 50% renewable energy tier systematically disadvantaged historically marginalized groups based on race or income. Instead, the results suggest broadly equitable access to more renewable electricity across the region and highlight the importance of public education, community engagement, and institutional trust in sustaining participation and supporting an inclusive clean energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104555"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079440","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104537
Kyungmin Lee , Sun-Jin Yun , Ji Yong Myeong
As governments increasingly promote installing wind power plants, conflicts with residents have emerged. Some wind farm villages implement financial benefit-sharing schemes and organize public hearings, yet empirical evidence on the effectiveness of such mechanisms remains limited. This study examines whether financial benefit-sharing and community participation are associated with residents' acceptance of wind turbines and with environmental awareness. We propose a Value-sharing Mechanism (VSM) framework by comparing villages with different benefit-sharing types and participation levels. A survey of 95 residents from three wind farm villages in Jeju Island, South Korea, classified as utility-focused, benefit-focused, and participation-focused models, was conducted. The Kruskal-Wallis test, correlation analysis, and linear regression were employed to assess the relationships among perception of benefit-sharing, community engagement, local acceptance, and environmental awareness. Results indicate that both benefit-sharing and community engagement are positively associated with local acceptance, but not with environmental awareness. These findings inform theoretical insights through the lens of commons theory and may inform practice for designing self-governing sustainable renewable energy projects under the VSM framework.
{"title":"Proposing a value-sharing mechanism for wind power: Impacts of benefit-sharing and community engagement on acceptance and environmental awareness","authors":"Kyungmin Lee , Sun-Jin Yun , Ji Yong Myeong","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As governments increasingly promote installing wind power plants, conflicts with residents have emerged. Some wind farm villages implement financial benefit-sharing schemes and organize public hearings, yet empirical evidence on the effectiveness of such mechanisms remains limited. This study examines whether financial benefit-sharing and community participation are associated with residents' acceptance of wind turbines and with environmental awareness. We propose a Value-sharing Mechanism (VSM) framework by comparing villages with different benefit-sharing types and participation levels. A survey of 95 residents from three wind farm villages in Jeju Island, South Korea, classified as utility-focused, benefit-focused, and participation-focused models, was conducted. The Kruskal-Wallis test, correlation analysis, and linear regression were employed to assess the relationships among perception of benefit-sharing, community engagement, local acceptance, and environmental awareness. Results indicate that both benefit-sharing and community engagement are positively associated with local acceptance, but not with environmental awareness. These findings inform theoretical insights through the lens of commons theory and may inform practice for designing self-governing sustainable renewable energy projects under the VSM framework.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104537"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039081","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2025.104519
Jan Frankowski , Joanna Mazurkiewicz , Soňa Stará , Aleksandra Prusak , Wojciech Bełch , Michal Nesládek , Tomáš Vácha , Krzysztof Niedziałkowski
The decarbonisation of multi-family buildings is crucial for Europe's energy transition, yet the role of collective forms of housing governance in this process remains poorly understood. This paper examines how institutional dynamics shape energy investments in Poland and Czechia, two countries with distinct post-socialist housing transformation patterns. Using institutional theory and 61 semi-structured interviews with policymakers and cooperative representatives, we demonstrate that housing cooperatives are structurally positioned to adopt renewable energy technologies primarily as top-down, techno-economic projects aimed at reducing costs. These initiatives rarely develop into participatory or resident-driven models. The potential for collective energy action is further constrained by financial, managerial, and regulatory barriers, as well as the erosion of community structures under ongoing socio-demographic changes. Where energy transition occurs, it tends to follow a centralised, efficiency-driven logic that restricts deeper resident engagement. Experiences with more advanced prosumer solutions illustrate the difficulties of translating both top-down and individually oriented frameworks into cooperative settings shaped by distinct legal, organisational, and cultural conditions. By integrating institutional theory with cooperative studies, the paper shows how path-dependent governance and conflicting logics limit bottom-up energy initiatives in multi-family housing. These findings raise critical questions about the prospects of energy communities within housing cooperatives under current socio-regulatory conditions, highlighting structural barriers that must be addressed if housing cooperatives and similar forms of collective housing are to play a meaningful role in Europe's emerging energy community frameworks, as well as in the residential energy transition in general.
{"title":"Between efficiency and democracy: Explaining support and resistance towards energy transition and prosumer solutions in Polish and Czech housing cooperatives","authors":"Jan Frankowski , Joanna Mazurkiewicz , Soňa Stará , Aleksandra Prusak , Wojciech Bełch , Michal Nesládek , Tomáš Vácha , Krzysztof Niedziałkowski","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2025.104519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2025.104519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The decarbonisation of multi-family buildings is crucial for Europe's energy transition, yet the role of collective forms of housing governance in this process remains poorly understood. This paper examines how institutional dynamics shape energy investments in Poland and Czechia, two countries with distinct post-socialist housing transformation patterns. Using institutional theory and 61 semi-structured interviews with policymakers and cooperative representatives, we demonstrate that housing cooperatives are structurally positioned to adopt renewable energy technologies primarily as top-down, techno-economic projects aimed at reducing costs. These initiatives rarely develop into participatory or resident-driven models. The potential for collective energy action is further constrained by financial, managerial, and regulatory barriers, as well as the erosion of community structures under ongoing socio-demographic changes. Where energy transition occurs, it tends to follow a centralised, efficiency-driven logic that restricts deeper resident engagement. Experiences with more advanced prosumer solutions illustrate the difficulties of translating both top-down and individually oriented frameworks into cooperative settings shaped by distinct legal, organisational, and cultural conditions. By integrating institutional theory with cooperative studies, the paper shows how path-dependent governance and conflicting logics limit bottom-up energy initiatives in multi-family housing. These findings raise critical questions about the prospects of energy communities within housing cooperatives under current socio-regulatory conditions, highlighting structural barriers that must be addressed if housing cooperatives and similar forms of collective housing are to play a meaningful role in Europe's emerging energy community frameworks, as well as in the residential energy transition in general.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104519"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981399","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104568
Jeroen van den Bergh , Jan Paul van Soest
In November 2024, a ruling by a Dutch Court of Appeal overturned a 2021 District Court verdict concerning the obligations of the oil and gas company Shell to reduce its carbon emissions. This perspective article examines the scientific basis of the differing arguments in the two court rulings, with a particular focus on the effectiveness of emissions-reduction strategies. To this end, we first summarize the reasoning in both rulings and identify their key points of divergence. Subsequently, we assess which ruling aligns more closely with the scientific literature on climate policy. Our analysis zooms in on four issues: the public-good nature of climate mitigation and the problem of free-riding; the aim and impact of the European Union's Emissions Trading System; the treatment of Scope 3 emissions generated by end users of Shell's products; and the roles of companies versus the state in achieving emissions reductions. We conclude that the Court of Appeal's ruling is more consistent with current scientific insights about effective climate policy than the earlier District Court decision. This is not to deny that companies like Shell will have to fundamentally transform – or otherwise eventually disappear – on the path to a zero‑carbon economy. But such change is most likely to occur as the outcome of a systemic policy approach that delivers steady and substantial emissions reductions across all sectors and jurisdictions. We therefore argue that a more effective legal strategy is to pursue legal action against governments that fail to implement policies in line with internationally agreed climate targets.
{"title":"Comparing two court rulings on Shell's carbon emissions with climate-policy science","authors":"Jeroen van den Bergh , Jan Paul van Soest","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In November 2024, a ruling by a Dutch Court of Appeal overturned a 2021 District Court verdict concerning the obligations of the oil and gas company Shell to reduce its carbon emissions. This perspective article examines the scientific basis of the differing arguments in the two court rulings, with a particular focus on the effectiveness of emissions-reduction strategies. To this end, we first summarize the reasoning in both rulings and identify their key points of divergence. Subsequently, we assess which ruling aligns more closely with the scientific literature on climate policy. Our analysis zooms in on four issues: the public-good nature of climate mitigation and the problem of free-riding; the aim and impact of the European Union's Emissions Trading System; the treatment of Scope 3 emissions generated by end users of Shell's products; and the roles of companies versus the state in achieving emissions reductions. We conclude that the Court of Appeal's ruling is more consistent with current scientific insights about effective climate policy than the earlier District Court decision. This is not to deny that companies like Shell will have to fundamentally transform – or otherwise eventually disappear – on the path to a zero‑carbon economy. But such change is most likely to occur as the outcome of a systemic policy approach that delivers steady and substantial emissions reductions across all sectors and jurisdictions. We therefore argue that a more effective legal strategy is to pursue legal action against governments that fail to implement policies in line with internationally agreed climate targets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104568"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078839","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104550
Antonio C.P. Brasil Junior , Rafael C.F. Mendes , José Lavaquial
This article analyzes electrification in small Amazonian villages, focusing on settlements of 1000–5000 inhabitants that face persistent deficits in basic services despite growing socio-economic complexity. To interpret this transitional condition, it introduces the concept of embryonic urbanity, which captures how emerging urban nuclei formulate collective demands for infrastructure, territorial inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Within this framework, electrification is shown to be a key driver of early urban consolidation and social development. The study then assesses renewable hybrid energy systems as alternatives to diesel-based generation in isolated grids. Simulation results using the platform HOMER-Pro indicate that hybridization could reduce annual diesel consumption by about 140.5 million liters, equivalent to 376.6 ktCO2e. These findings highlight hybrid systems as a strategic pathway for integrating universal access with decarbonization and resilient territorial development in the Amazon.
{"title":"Small (and not-so-small) villages in the Amazon: The challenge of access to electricity infrastructure","authors":"Antonio C.P. Brasil Junior , Rafael C.F. Mendes , José Lavaquial","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104550","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104550","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article analyzes electrification in small Amazonian villages, focusing on settlements of 1000–5000 inhabitants that face persistent deficits in basic services despite growing socio-economic complexity. To interpret this transitional condition, it introduces the concept of <em>embryonic urbanity</em>, which captures how emerging urban nuclei formulate collective demands for infrastructure, territorial inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Within this framework, electrification is shown to be a key driver of early urban consolidation and social development. The study then assesses renewable hybrid energy systems as alternatives to diesel-based generation in isolated grids. Simulation results using the platform HOMER-Pro indicate that hybridization could reduce annual diesel consumption by about 140.5 million liters, equivalent to 376.6 ktCO2e. These findings highlight hybrid systems as a strategic pathway for integrating universal access with decarbonization and resilient territorial development in the Amazon.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104550"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039080","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104539
Patrick Kayima , Henry Musoke Semakula , Charlotte Nakakaawa Jjunju , Hannington Wasswa , Patricia Kiggundu Nagawa , Frank Mugagga
Achieving universal access to clean energy is a global priority, however, remote island communities remain among the most underserved populations. This study addresses a critical gap in energy research by moving beyond technical evaluations to examine how social hierarchies shape energy experiences. Drawing on Bugala Island, as an empirical case, this study applies an intersectional gender framework to analyse the challenges associated with hybrid solar electricity systems. Using a mixed-methods design that integrates household surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions, this research identifies five core dimensions of energy burden: cost, technical reliability, safety and risk, service delivery, and accessibility. Quantitative results show that energy access is not socially neutral. Female-headed, low-income households face the highest financial burdens, while older women experience the greatest safety risks due to substandard infrastructure. Younger household heads and those with limited education were also significantly more likely to experience frequent energy-related disruptions. These findings demonstrate that technical energy transitions can reinforce existing social inequalities if the social dimensions are overlooked. The study advances energy research by showing that access must be evaluated through social equity rather than physical connectivity alone. Therefore, policy interventions such as targeted subsidies and local technician training are essential to ensure inclusive and sustainable off-grid energy transitions.
{"title":"Gendered inequalities in hybrid energy access: Socially differentiated challenges on Uganda's Lake Victoria islands","authors":"Patrick Kayima , Henry Musoke Semakula , Charlotte Nakakaawa Jjunju , Hannington Wasswa , Patricia Kiggundu Nagawa , Frank Mugagga","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104539","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104539","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving universal access to clean energy is a global priority, however, remote island communities remain among the most underserved populations. This study addresses a critical gap in energy research by moving beyond technical evaluations to examine how social hierarchies shape energy experiences. Drawing on Bugala Island, as an empirical case, this study applies an intersectional gender framework to analyse the challenges associated with hybrid solar electricity systems. Using a mixed-methods design that integrates household surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions, this research identifies five core dimensions of energy burden: cost, technical reliability, safety and risk, service delivery, and accessibility. Quantitative results show that energy access is not socially neutral. Female-headed, low-income households face the highest financial burdens, while older women experience the greatest safety risks due to substandard infrastructure. Younger household heads and those with limited education were also significantly more likely to experience frequent energy-related disruptions. These findings demonstrate that technical energy transitions can reinforce existing social inequalities if the social dimensions are overlooked. The study advances energy research by showing that access must be evaluated through social equity rather than physical connectivity alone. Therefore, policy interventions such as targeted subsidies and local technician training are essential to ensure inclusive and sustainable off-grid energy transitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"132 ","pages":"Article 104539"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981361","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}
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