H2020: Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future: Social Sciences and Humanities aspects of the Clean-Energy Transition

This call (LC-SC3-CC-1-2018-2019-2020), which aims to present practical recommendations to address the challenges of the transition to clean energy in European coal- and carbon-intensive regions, belongs to the Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future sub-programme within the Horizon 2020 Programme.

The clean energy transition not only poses technological and scientific challenges, but also requires a better understanding of cross-cutting issues related to socio-economic, gender, sociocultural and socio-political issues. Addressing these issues will help devise more effective ways to engage citizens and better understand energy-related views and attitudes, which will ultimately lead to greater social acceptability, as well as longer-lasting governance arrangements and socio-economic benefits.

Scope

Challenges facing carbon-intensive regions: The transition to a low-carbon economy and energy system poses particular challenges for regions that are still heavily dependent on fossil fuel-based industries or the extraction of fossil fuels themselves (“carbon- and carbon-intensive regions”). At the same time, this transition offers great opportunities to develop new lines of business and to increase the competitiveness of structurally weak regions.

Focusing on the last 5-10 years to the present, special attention should be paid to one or more of the following issues:

• What are the main socio-economic challenges facing coal- and carbon-intensive regions today and what impact have they had on livelihoods and the sustainability of local and regional economies?
• What coping strategies have emerged in recent years? What are the main differences between regions that are facing well and those that are not?
• To what extent have coal and carbon-intensive regions migrated in recent years and to what extent has it affected their social and demographic composition?
• What effect, if any, have these changes had on the growth of populism and anti-democratic attitudes in the affected regions?

Expected impact

The proposed research aims to present practical recommendations to address the challenges of the transition to clean energy in Europe’s coal- and carbon-intensive regions, including socio-economic and political ones.

Deadline

August 27, 2019

More information

Funding & tenders