University of Twente Student Theses
The European Union's Green Deal and the issue of Energy Poverty: How affected actors in times of energy transition interplay and may be compensated.
Brandt, Matthias (2021) The European Union's Green Deal and the issue of Energy Poverty: How affected actors in times of energy transition interplay and may be compensated.
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| Abstract: | Energy poverty is an important issue, whose prominence is growing due to the worldwide push for an energy transition. Accordingly, the main research question of this project is “Which actors are expected to lose/ win in the energy transition and how does the EU intend to ensure compensation for losing actors within the framework of the European Green Deal?” To answer this research question, a generative research design, based on desk research, will be implemented. The core element of the proposed research is a secondary analysis of scientific literature, scientific journals, grey literature- policy papers of European governing bodies, think tanks, content of university classes. The contribution that the proposed thesis aims to make is to help clarify and extend current understanding of the complexity, refine knowledge of current and upcoming societal and political issues connected to the Energy Transition and its consequences, which are expected to dominate the policy arenas in the upcoming decades. Analysis shows that sectoral and regional effects of green energy technologies especially impact areas where fossil fuel related mining and quarrying is key and has an enhanced negative effect for lower skilled workers as for higher skilled workers. In the complex multi- level process many stakeholders are involved- EU, national governments, local and regional authorities, businesses, interest groups, individuals, consumers and households that have differing stakes at play. Individual actors could be faced with negative consequences of the energy transition as they are not strongly represented in the EU policy arena, are framed as dependents in a social construction by policy makers and are dominated by powerful economic forces and industries that push policies towards their interest like the car or coal sector. The EU´s action plan includes the Just Transition Mechanism that aims at compensation. The EU justifies its action via output legitimacy, to create good outcomes, but analysis shows that there is a lack of input and throughput legitimacy which potentially leads some actors voices to remain unheard and at the same time does not aim at framing losing actors of the energy transition in their policy papers in order to deter aimed at stakeholders. Whether the policy can contribute to a just transition, remains to be seen. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 70 social sciences in general |
| Programme: | Management Society and Technology BSc (56654) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/87711 |
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