Objective Energy transitions towards sustainability are driven by the need to reduce the environmental impacts of energy consumption, namely those related to carbon emissions. However, it is feared that a large scale deployment of low-carbon solutions that disregards pre-existing socio-economic and material inequalities may result in transitions deepening disparities or creating new energy-related vulnerabilities. Such prospect is particularly worrying as tens of millions of EU households are currently experiencing energy poverty, i.e. they are unable to access socially- and materially-necessitated levels of domestic energy services. Against this background TRANSFAIR aims to identify, conceptualise and empirically substantiate the ways in which the EU’s “transition to a low-carbon, secure and competitive economy” may (or not) be reproducing and reinforcing current energy vulnerability trends in Member States. To this end the research will combine the political ecology and environmental justice frameworks with transitions theory and multi-level governance perspective, conduct a critical, integrative review of scientific and policy literature and carry out an empirically-based examination of two complementary case studies: renewable electricity cooperatives in Spain and advanced thermal retrofits of multi-family buildings in Hungary. The experienced researcher Dr Sergio Tirado Herrero will carry out the research in an internationally renowned political ecology and environmental justice research centre – the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technologies (ICTA) of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) – under the supervision of Prof Giorgos Kallis, TRANSFAIR will equip the experienced researcher with advanced qualitative data collection and analysis skills and further his understanding of new theoretical frameworks. It will also help him develop other transferable skills through a secondment in the Spanish renewable electricity cooperative ‘Som Energia’. Fields of science social sciencessociologygovernancenatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesecology Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2016 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2016 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF Coordinator UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA Net EU contribution € 158 121,60 Address Edif a campus de la uab bellaterra cerdanyola v 08193 Cerdanyola del valles Spain See on map Region Este Cataluña Barcelona Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
