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Chair of Sustainability Transition Policy
At the Chair of Sustainability Transition Policy, we explore the policies needed for a transition to a climate-neutral future. Our work is rooted in transition studies, but is strongly interdisciplinary, building on theories and methods from different disciplines, including political science, economics and other social sciences.
Our focus lies on climate and energy policies, often with an empirical focus, both in research and teaching.
Moniek de Jong answered questions from Belgian Knack.be about the drivers behind the current high European gas prices, what they mean for consumers, and what we can do to minimize our dependency on foreign gas supplies. You can find the interview here (in Dutch): https://www.knack.be/nieuws/belgie/europese-gasprijs-piekt-consumenten-met-een-vast-energiecontract-hoeven-zich-niet-al-te-veel-zorgen-te-maken/.
In the RadioEins science programme "Die Profis", Johan Lilliestam was interviewed about myths and realities around challenges in the ongoing expansion of wind power. You can listen to the interview here (in German, until January 2026): https://shorturl.at/tlkpd.
The main task of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is to provide comprehensive assessments of climate science, including climate policy options, holistically and objectively. We analyse the sources of all climate policy-related statements in the IPCC reports and Summaries for Policymakers since 1990 to investigate the influence of Integrated Assessment Models, a particular type of climate-economic model. We show that although both reports and SPM are broad and diverse, IAMs are strongly overrepresented in the evidence presented: IAMs are cited at least 10 times more often in the reports than their share of the scientific climate policy literature, and 20 times for often in the politically influential Summaries for Policymakers.
Wind power is an essential pillar of the current and future electricity system, but resistance is growing – and much of it based on false claims, such as wind power driving the whales crazy (Trump) or the Alternative für Deutschland wanting to tear down “wind mills of shame”.
We took stock of the current state of the art of wind power, assessing current challenges and the knowledge and experience about solutions. We show that many claims are false, such as infrasound generation, others are true but have effective and often tested solutions, such as bird and bat protection measures. The present main challenges include too low electricity prices caused by abundant productions, and excessively long permission processes for new wind farms. The article can be read for free here, and is summarised as a research highlight here.
We are offering 6 courses in WS 2024/2025. All are relevant to “Sustainability Transitions” which is our core interest.
Master courses
Climate Policy, first class Monday 21October, 13:00-14:45, in Lange Gasse LG 5.155
Energy Policy Instruments, first class Tuesday 22 October, 13:00-17:00, Lange Gasse LG 3.154
Project course: Building Sustainable Industry in Europe, first class Friday 18 October, 9:00-16:30, in Findelgasse FG 2.024
Energy Transition Analysis: Bridging Techno-economic, Business, and Policy Perspectives, first class Wednesday 16 October, 09:45-13:00, in Findelgasse FG 3.023
Master & Bachelor course
Thesis Seminar Sustainable Transition Policy, first class Friday 18 October, 09:00-14:00, Zoom
Bachelor course
Energy Security, first class Thursday 17 October, 13:15-16:45 in in Findelgasse FG 1.036
For the full details and link to the StudOn pages: https://www.transitionpolicy.rw.fau.de/teaching/courses/
