Research funded by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, ID No. NKFIH 146987.

01.01.2024-31.12.2027.

Lead researcher: Lea Kőszeghy

 

Participants: Bernadett Csurgó, Gergely Horzsa, external expert: Anna Zsófia Bajomi

 

Transition of energy use to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is a key factor in handling the adverse impacts of climate change. Therefore, energy transition became a primary issue in global and European Union (EU) political, and policy agendas. In the past years the development of policy measures and subsidy systems to support energy transition began, and is ongoing.

Meanwhile, problems concerning energy use, as well as financial resources, consciousness, knowledge and attitudes related to energy use show distinct social and spatial patterns. This leads to social and spatial disparities in the impacts of policy measures and subsidy systems aimed to support energy transition as well. Low status households in energy poverty, and areas where such households concentrate, may suffer systematic disadvantages during energy transition. This is reflected by the strengthening just transition discourse. Exploring such social and spatial disparities is key to the success of energy transition, as it enables the development of policy measures and subsidy systems tailored to different needs and resources, thereby ensuring that disadvantaged, energy poor households and communities are not left behind in energy transition. Meanwhile the issue of energy also became a central geopolitical issue, both in terms of energy sources, and energy prices. Concerning this, research on adaptation strategies, and socio-spatial differences in terms of adaptation strategies is highly relevant, as adaptation may lead to more, but also less sustainable energy use.

The research examines socio-spatial differences in energy transition, and adaptation to changes in the European energy source structure and energy price increase, and its determinants in two levels: household (micro) and local (meso) level.

Its key questions are

On the household level:

• What kind of socio-economic and spatial disparities can be identified between households concerning energy use, financial resources, consciousness, knowledge and attitudes towards energy use, and adaptation to changed European energy source structure and energy price increase?
• Related to this, what are the impacts of energy policies on households in different socio-economic and spatial position?

On local (meso) level:

• What are the characteristics of locally adopted policies concerning energy transition, as well as concerning changed European energy source structure and energy price increase? What are the key problems identified, aims, and policy instruments in such documents?
• What is the policy-making process guiding the development of such policies, with specific regard to stakeholders involved and left out, and methods of participation?
• What kind of local civil society initiatives appear concerning energy transition and responses to changing energy sources and energy price increase?
• What kind of other initiatives appear concerning these issues e.g. from economic actors?
• What is the relationship between stakeholders in selected localities?
• What is the potential of civil society and other initiatives for scaling up, and what are the determinants for this?
• What kind of differences can be identified between localities in different socio-spatial position in terms of the aforementioned questions?

 

The research applies a mixed methodology. Following an initial literature and public policy analysis, semi-structured expert interviews and secondary analysis of recent surveys and statistical data will be conducted, and a series of case studies will be made on household and local level, in various localities in terms of size and regional context.