Launch of the Premier Issue of the Sciences Po Energy Review

About the Sciences Po Energy Review

The Sciences Po Energy Review is a graduate student-led publication to advance dialogue about energy. Motivated by the pressing global need for energy transitions, the journal primarily employs a social scientific approach without being constrained by any single discipline, featuring graduate student writing and expert analyses. By placing contributors in conversation with peers and experts, the publication seeks to strengthen existing debates and research about energy at Sciences Po and beyond and welcomes submissions from all around the world.

The Sciences Po Energy Review is hosted by the European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition.

Issue 1: Global Energy Transitions’ Narratives and Sequencing

Prominent dichotomies emerge in analysing global transitions’ pathways. As top polluters participate in climate and energy dialogues, are we witnessing a real and ambitious paradigm shift, or opportunistic behaviour? Do technology-specific transition frameworks offer a radical new path forward, or are they simply a distraction? Is decarbonisation about transitioning from molecules to electrons, or is there space for both? Even the narrative of ‘energy transition(s)’ cannot be taken at face value if the bigger picture turns out to be simply one of energy addition.

Furthermore, diverging plans raise the pressing question of what constitutes timely effort. The NDCs present a dizzying array of target dates distributed unevenly across states with vastly different economic realities. The specificities of each actor will configure how they traverse, or diverge from the paths to climate neutrality. In other words, discussions on the how of the transitions cannot overlook the when. Understanding the sequencing of any energy transition cannot therefore take decarbonisation as a foregone conclusion.

The premier issue of the Sciences Po Energy Review delves into the contours of global energy transitions’ narratives and sequencing through three formats: interviews with four experts, a debate section, and twelve critical essays.

Editorial team

The current editorial team comprises students enrolled in the Sciences Po Master’s Program in International Energy Transitions, an academic program administered by the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA).

• Co-editors: Ernest Lee and Gabriele Romeo;
• Editorial Board Members, Debates Section: Arina Khotimsky and Hanna Klar

Senior advisors

The academic rigour and intellectual integrity of the Sciences Po Energy Review is enhanced and guaranteed through the appointment of two senior advisors:

• Marc Ringel – Chairholder at the European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition at Sciences Po
• Giacomo Luciani – Scientific Director, Master in International Energy Transitions, Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences-Po Paris