Shifts in the smart research agenda? 100 priority questions to accelerate sustainable energy futures

Energy transitions are at the top of global agendas in response to the growing challenges of climate change and international conflict, with the EU positioning itself as playing a pivotal role in addressing climate risks and sustainability imperatives. European energy transition policies identify 'smart consumption' as a key element of these efforts, which have previously been explored from a predominantly technical perspective thus often failing to identify or address fundamental interlinkages with social systems and consequences. This paper aims to contribute to interdisciplinary energy research by analysing a forward looking 'Horizon Scan' research agenda for smart consumption, driven by the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). Reflecting on an extensive systematic Delphi Method exercise surveying over 70 SSH scholars from various institutional settings across Europe, we highlight what SSH scholars see as future directions for smart consumption research. Building from seven thematic areas (under which are grouped 100 SSH research questions), the study identifies three key 'shifts' this new smart research agenda represents, when compared to previous agendas: (1) From technological inevitability to political choice, highlighting the need for a wider political critique, with the potential to open up discussions of the instrumentalisation of smart research; (2) From narrow representation to diverse inclusion, moving beyond the shortcomings of current discourses for engaging marginalised communities; and (3) From individual consumers to interconnected citizens, reframing smart consumption to offer a broader model of social change and governance. Social Sciences and Humanities scholarship is essential to address these shifts in meaningful (rather than tokenistic) ways. This agenda and the shifts it embodies represent key tools to enable better interdisciplinary working between SSH and teams from the technical and natural sciences.Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic DKRVO, (RP/CPS/2022/005); Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, H2020; European Commission, EC; Horizon 2020, (826025)European Union [826025]; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic DKRVO [RP/CPS/2022/005

Shifts in the smart research agenda? 100 priority questions to accelerate sustainable energy futures

Energy transitions are at the top of global agendas in response to the growing challenges of climate change and international conflict, with the EU positioning itself as playing a pivotal role in addressing climate risks and sustainability imperatives. European energy transition policies identify ‘smart consumption’ as a key element of these efforts, which have previously been explored from a predominantly technical perspective thus often failing to identify or address fundamental interlinkages with social systems and consequences. This paper aims to contribute to interdisciplinary energy research by analysing a forward looking ‘Horizon Scan’ research agenda for smart consumption, driven by the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). Reflecting on an extensive systematic Delphi Method exercise surveying over 70 SSH scholars from various institutional settings across Europe, we highlight what SSH scholars see as future directions for smart consumption research. Building from seven thematic areas (under which are grouped 100 SSH research questions), the study identifies three key ‘shifts’ this new smart research agenda represents, when compared to previous agendas: (1) From technological inevitability to political choice, highlighting the need for a wider political critique, with the potential to open up discussions of the instrumentalisation of smart research; (2) From narrow representation to diverse inclusion, moving beyond the shortcomings of current discourses for engaging marginalised communities; and (3) From individual consumers to interconnected citizens, reframing smart consumption to offer a broader model of social change and governance. Social Sciences and Humanities scholarship is essential to address these shifts in meaningful (rather than tokenistic) ways. This agenda and the shifts it embodies represent key tools to enable better interdisciplinary working between SSH and teams from the technical and natural sciences

La consommation d’énergie à l’épreuve des pratiques et savoirs d’usage

International audienc

La consommation d’énergie à l’épreuve des pratiques et savoirs d’usage des habitants

International audienceDans ce chapitre, nous avons interrogé les dynamiques de consommation d’énergie en mettant au centre de notre analyse la mobilisation des savoirs d’usage des habitants. Ceci a consisté à observer la construction d’un espace de compétences à l’échelle du logement qui atteste d’une volonté de légitimation des savoirs à l’œuvre dans la sphère intime du domicile (soulignant la volonté des habitants de garder la main sur leur environnement). Ce chapitre a montré comment, à l’échelle du logement, se mettaient en perspective des manières de faire et un savoir plus institué incitant à la sobriété (domaines entraînant une dépossession symbolique du rapport des habitants à l’environnement et à l’énergie)

Anticipate, Adjust, Adapt: Managing Sustainability Transitions through multiple Scenarios of Urban Mobility Futures.

International audienceDesigning and managing system transitions towards sustainable urban futures are crucial to fulfilling the Paris Agreement and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the complexity and multidisciplinarity of urban systems pose challenges to the holistic conceptualisation, design, and management of such transitions. Utilising complex system theory as the theoretical foundation, we apply transition concepts from Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), Multi-Level Perspective (MLP), Social Practice Theory (SPT), and Future Scenario Methods (FSM) to explore the frameworks’ potentials and shortcomings when applied to the urban mobility system transition (UMST) of Paris and its region Île-de-France (ÎdF) between 2001 and 2021.Our leading and supporting research questions are:RQ1: To what extent can current transition frameworks represent the UMST?RQ1a: What are the key transition drivers (TD) of Paris’ UMST between 2001 and 2021? RQ1b: What are the key transition frameworks that have been applied to UMST?RQ1c: How adequately can these frameworks represent the UMST of Paris?To answer these questions, we introduce the challenge and the underlying complex system theory, followed by the case study description. Afterwards, each framework is described, applied to the case, and discussed. This is followed by a literature-driven analysis and discussion of complements, commonalities, and mismatches between the frameworks. Finally, the initial outcomes are discussed, and a perspective for the next steps building on this preparatory work is drawn.Key outcomes of the paper are:• A descriptive case study of the UMST of Paris between 2001 and 2021;• An interdisciplinary overview of UMST frameworks applied to the case study;• A discussion of complementary, overlapping, and competing properties of the transition frameworksthat will feed the next steps of the research towards the development of a holistic, heuristic transition framework for UMST

La consommation d’énergie à l’épreuve des pratiques et savoirs d’usage des habitants

Les Trente Glorieuses marquent l’apogée d’une certaine idée du confort moderne basé sur le développement massif de l’équipement des ménages, devant permettre la réduction des efforts dans les tâches quotidiennes et améliorer le bien-être des ménages. Le primat de la technique instaure alors un bien-être synonyme de moindre effort dans les tâches domestiques. L’énergie devient une ressource essentielle présente au domicile à « l’insu des consciences » (Dard, 1986). Les chocs pétroliers des ann..