Summer School – Global Energy Transition in a Fossil World: Challenges and Opportunities

In December 2023, at the UN climate summit (COP28), the world agreed that we need to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. But did this decision truly signal the ‘beginning of the end’ for the fossil fuel era? After all, meeting the Paris climate goals remains far from a done deal and the world’s never burned more goal, coal and gas than in 2024.

While the need for a global transition to a low-carbon energy system is contested by few, opinions on what this means in practice and how to get there vary between mainly technical and engineering interventions to radical societal change.

This course focuses on the societal and political dimensions of the energy transition, while taking into account the physical and technical limitations of the energy system, as well as earth’s environmental boundaries. The course provides a comprehensive overview of the global energy transition’s needs, its challenges and solutions, and the trade-offs generated by different (policy) options. The course will introduce you to the leading theories, concepts, proposed solutions, and current governance efforts in the energy transition. You will study challenges and opportunities at a global level, as well as regional, national, and local approaches in the Netherlands and beyond. You will be challenged to critically assess and question your own preferred solutions.

This course will feature guest speakers from academia, industry, NGOs, public policy, offering varied perspectives. The excursions provide practical insights into the challenges and needs that we encounter as we move away from fossil fuels and build a new, low-carbon energy system. By incorporating these external voices and real-world experiences, the course aims to foster an environment open to critical discussion and to enrich the participants’ understanding of the complex issues associated with the global energy transition.