Conference Contribution Details
Mandatory Fields
Breffní Lennon & Niall P. Dunphy
35th International Geographical Congress
The role of the citizenry around energy - competing expressions of energy citizenship
Dublin
Oral Presentation
2024
()
0
Optional Fields
24-AUG-24
30-AUG-24
Citizen participation in the energy domain has traditionally been delineated in terms of behaviour and practices around consumption, with little (if any) thought given to the social and political motivations behind such actions. In this time of polycrisis (ecological, political, socio-economic, epidemiological) the transition to renewable energy sources has seen a significant shift with regards to the roles and expectations of citizens in the energy system. This paper seeks to assess the role of citizenship in the energy transition, while also considering the meaning and value of energy citizenship as a concept. Drawing from ongoing work in the ENCLUDE H2020 project, it presents a typology of citizenship that has emerged in the energy domain comprising four categories of ‘access to energy’, ‘energy consumption’, ‘energy production’, and ‘politics and governance’, and culminating in fifteen key expressions of ‘energy citizenship’. As these expressions manifest, the question arises: for whom is the emerging energy system designed? While a better appreciation of a more inclusive, multifaceted energy citizenship is still needed to underpin an acceptable transition, understanding the different manifestations of citizenship around energy will allow us to action the decarbonisation potential of energy citizens in a more coherent and just way.
Horizon 2020 - grant # 101022791