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Content archived on 2024-05-27

Social challenges of trans-Mediterranean renewable power cooperation

Objective

Developed countries must completely decarbonize their power systems by mid-century if the world is to avoid dangerous climate change, and developing countries will have to follow soon thereafter. This will almost certainly include heavy reliance on renewable energy sources, and could include complete reliance. In the context of such a transition, both sound technical and economic analysis and current events suggest that some degree of cooperation and power system integration between Europe and the neighboring Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will be attractive, will likely occur, and may even be essential in order to overcome European land constraints. However, the prospect of such cooperation raises a set of related social and governance issues—challenges to be understood and if appropriate overcome—that so far remain under-researched. These include: the social acceptance of devoting large land areas to renewable power generation, centralized and decentralized, in one’s own back yard and in far off places; the governance options to resolve competing interests for scarce resources for such generation, primarily land and water; the human development implications of this cooperation in the MENA region, and ways of arriving at improved outcomes; and, the construction and maintenance of a functional integrated power system across a set of disparate political and regulatory systems. Each issue raises several research questions, with important synergies and commonalities across the entire set. The goal of this project is to provide robust answers to these questions, based on the application of the most appropriate research methods, be they qualitative or quantitative, empirical or modeling-oriented. The answers will contribute to the social science literature on sustainable development, ecological modernization, and transitions governance. They will also provide timely insights to policy-makers facing the need to make strategic choices by the end of this decade.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

ERC-2012-StG_20111124
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant

Host institution

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
EU contribution
€ 1 322 963,52
Address
Raemistrasse 101
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Beneficiaries (2)

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