Energy transitions are aim to produce a profound process of departure from today's energy systems, which are overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels, towards a modern-renewable-energy-based paradigm of the energy systems of tomorrow. Contrary to past energy transitions (e.g. biomass to coal, coal to crude oil) which were led by efficiency and economic concerns, the paradigm shift within energy transitions today is driven by the climate and human-created climate change driven by prior energy transitions the new process makes decarbonization the key policy objective.

The complex technical and political nature of this climate-focused energy transition process is amplified by the need for energy security which is also the very purpose of delivering energy transitions and, thus, these policy objectives. This module seeks to equip students with a basic understanding of energy transition as a complex policy challenge. Students enrolled in the module will gain policy-relevant knowledge enabling them to critically relate to key empirical and conceptual issues underpinning energy transition as a policy objective. The energy-climate ‘trilemma’ persists with impacts on fossil fuel economics and those who depend on these economic structures as the world urgently hoards access to energy resources – largely fossil fuels – to enable the very process of transition.

Lecturer: Dr. Sławomir Raszewski, King's College London (United Kingdom)