THE HUMAN FACTOR IN ENERGY TRANSITION & SECURITY TOWARDS 2050
Synopsis of the MILESECURE-2050 International Seminar
"Two major challenges are impending upon our energy future: the achievement of a secure energy supply, and a move from dependency on non-renewable to a dependency on renewable energy sources. The challenges call for radical changes or ‘energy transitions’: revisions that concern the entire energy system, not just some of its parts. These transitions are structural, as they modify the way energy provision is organized at the level of society. They are radical, since they may demand abandoning existing technologies even if they still work. And they are fundamental, because they require that we start thinking in novel ways about energy, its provision, and how a good and just society is organized around energy.
Transitions do not only pose technological challenges, but incur enormous social and economic changes as well. These include shifting identities of individuals as citizens and consumers and producers of energy, entailing changes in repertoires of action. Changes also concern market relations and social and institutional positions. And they come with new roles and responsibilities for new actors. These changes incur friction and social stress. At the same time, the social domain is one resource for flexibility, improvisation and problem solving. Through reflection and anticipation, people are able to find new solutions, and to find new orientations in their lives.
In thinking through energy transitions, the human factor has received too little attention. Most policy documents and future visions focus on economic, geopolitical and technological changes, and at best present a scant notion of what the changes mean for individual persons, how the changes depend on individuals and the actions of local groups, and how this human factor can be mobilized and engaged.”
(Adapted from: MILESECURE-2050 Project, “Manifesto” Preamble)
The International Seminar “THE HUMAN FACTOR IN ENERGY TRANSITION & SECURITY TOWARDS 2050” aims at discussing the above topic, presenting the final results of the EU MILESECURE-2050 project. The project work-programme was articulated in three main stages. At the first stage, both a study of European main trends and policies and an analysis of a set of 90 “anticipatory experiences” of the transition towards low carbon society were conducted. At the second stage, the knowledge deriving from the above two studies was embodied in innovative forecasting models and scenarios. At the third stage, policy guidelines and a manifesto on the transition were drafted. Following the project structure, this Seminar is organized around three key issues: Multidimensional Knowledge, Innovative Models and Effective Policies. For each of these issues, a paper highlights the main research outputs and stimulates discussion with European experts, energy stakeholders and policy makers in a specific working session.
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