Abstracts Submission

Low-carbon transitions involve resilience challenges associated with the implementation of new energy systems, green electrification and related critical infrastructure. This is especially true in the current context of growing international competition and conflict, in which physical and cyberattacks against energy systems have become a reality. Political leaders and policy-makers are called upon to make urgent decisions on how to implement the transition; identifying apt policies, adapting institutions and ensuring their resilience are central conundrums. At the same time, it is important to ensure that energy transitions are just and not overly securitised.

The key questions addressed in this thematic issue include the following:

• How do we conceptualise the resilience of critical energy infrastructure?

• What are the main security risks to energy infrastructure in the context of green transition and geopolitical conflict and what are existing policy frameworks to tackle them?

• What are the political and governance challenges related to new energy infrastructure development?

• How are resilience and justice conceptualized and operationalised in the policies of major global actors and energy transition leaders (i.e., the US, China, EU, Japan, Germany, Finland, and Norway)?

We invite submissions that offer empirical and conceptual insights on topics including resilience and/or justice in energy transitions; adapting institutions and infrastructure to low carbon transitions; cyber and other security threats to new infrastructure related to the energy transition; case studies of new energy transition projects highlighting resilience and justice issues; resilience challenges of low-carbon energy systems, from renewables to nuclear power (i.e., small modular reactors); the governance of the energy transition with specific reference to new critical infrastructure.

Today’s representative democracies appear increasingly squeezed between a growing indifference towards politics, and a mode of politics that has become more personalised, volatile, polarized, and confrontational: an arena in which citizens take part more as spectators than as agents. The notion that political representatives’ work consists, at least in part, of mediation and compromise-seeking has become suspect and increasingly gives way to accusations of elitism, a lack of responsiveness, and incompetence. Populist appeals redefine political representation by invoking the immediacy of a putative will of the people or a leader’s charisma. Meanwhile, technocrat arguments contribute to broader trends of depoliticization that erode support for (time-consuming) forms of collective deliberation and judgment formation.

This thematic issue is organized and conducted under the aegis of the Horizon Europe project REDIRECT. It promotes a holistic understanding of the malaise of contemporary European democracies, defined as a “representative disconnect.” It treats this disconnect as an expression of broader and long-standing cultural and social transformations (e.g., individualism, globalization, neoliberalism, social media, and the rise of the far right) that have profoundly altered the “zone of engagement” in which citizens and politics meet. We treat representative disconnect as a multidimensional phenomenon (with institutional, behavioural, and affective components). To discern its nature, magnitude, and implications, the thematic issue presents a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods along with conceptual and comparative analyses that research both the representative and citizen end of the disconnect. Besides a focus on political parties as key actors and platforms for representation, with particular emphasis on unpacking the experiences and perspectives of youth (MP and citizens) in today’s climate of fear, anxiety, and polarisation. Contributions present findings from elite and mass surveys, youth focus groups, representative claim analysis, and conceptual work on disconnect, political parties, and deliberative mini-publics.

This thematic issue explores the rise and impact of women populist leaders across the ideological spectrum, from the far-left to the far-right, in a global context. Women populist leaders, whether in France, Germany, or Italy, lead the polls and win landslide regional and national elections—an empirical reality unimaginable to feminists and the progressive left a few decades ago.

This raises questions: How do women populist leaders perform in office, and with what impact on gender equality, LGBTIQ, and minority rights? What motivates women to elect, support, and run for parties and movements that reject contemporary feminism? While much of the existing literature has focused on male populist leaders, this collection addresses the gendered dimensions of populist leadership, analyzing how women navigate and reshape political landscapes traditionally dominated by men.

Combining single-case studies and comparative analyses, the issue examines the political strategies, rhetoric, and policies of women leaders in Europe and beyond. Contributions investigate the conditions that enable their rise to power, the ways they reconcile or challenge traditional gender norms, and their influence on both party dynamics and broader political institutions.

By focusing on the diverse ideological orientations of these leaders, the issue aims to uncover the commonalities and differences in their leadership styles, the role of gender in their political trajectories, and their impact on the representation of women’s interests and the empowerment of women in politics. This collective effort sheds light on the paradoxes of populist leadership and its implications for contemporary democracy.

The twin (green and digital) transition aims to maximize synergies between digitalization and environmental sustainability to combat climate change, build more efficient economies, and foster resilient societies (European Commission, 2022, 2023). While digital and sustainable convergence can effectively enable economic growth, foster circular economies, and address critical climate challenges (Blüm, 2022; Daehlen, 2023), its impact on deepening income inequalities, exacerbating regional disparities, and widening the digital divide must not be overlooked (Kolotouchkina et al., 2024; McDowall et al., 2023; Timmermans et al., 2023). Job losses in phasing out fossil fuel-intensive industries, cost burden to access innovation, energy, and transport poverty among the most vulnerable are some of the negative outcomes of the twin transition process (Al Kez et al., 2024; Mejía Dorantes & Murauskaite-Bull, 2023).

The Special Issue aims to explore the complexities and challenges of the governance of twin transition through the lens of inclusion and social justice. We invite scholars and practitioners to discuss the origins, determinants, and dynamics of inequalities linked to the twin transition process. We also welcome reflections on the critical challenges, best practices, and emerging opportunities to ensure its fair and inclusive governance.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• The impact of the twin transition on structural inequalities in energy, transport, agriculture, and built environment sectors.
• Barriers hindering a just twin transition process in energy, transport, agriculture, and built environment sectors.
• Challenges, best practices and emerging opportunities in achieving a fair and inclusive governance of the twin transition.
• The role of participatory inclusive governance and stakeholder engagement in fostering a just twin transition.
• Assessment of the impact of fair and inclusive governance on just twin transition.

References:

Al Kez, D., Foley, A., Lowans, C., & Furszyfer, D. (2024). Energy poverty assessment: Indicators and implications for developing and developed countries. Energy Conversion and Management, 307, 118324–118324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2024.118324

Blüm, S. (2022, October 26). What is the “twin transition” - and how can it speed sustainable growth. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/10/twin-transition-playbook-3-phases-to-accelerate-sustainable-digitization

Daehlen, M. (2023). The twin transition century: The role of digital research for a successful green transition of society? (The Guild Insight Paper No. 5). The Guild of European  Research-Intensive Universities and Bern Open Publishing. https://doi.org/10.48350/184458

European Commission. (2022, March 2). European growth model - European Commission. Economy-Finance.ec.europa.eu. https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/economic-and-fiscal-governance/european-growth-model_en

European Commission. (2023). Making the twin transition a reality | Knowledge for policy. Europa.eu. https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/foresight/making-twin-transition-reality_en#trendchinaseconomicpoweronspeed

Kolotouchkina, O., Ripoll González, L., & Belabas, W. (2024). Smart cities, digital inequalities, and the challenge of inclusion. Smart Cities, 7(6), 3355–3370. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7060130

McDowall, W., Reinauer, T., Fragkos, P., Miedziński, M., & Cronin, J. (2023). Mapping regional

vulnerability in Europe’s energy transition: development and application of an indicator to assess declining employment in four carbon-intensive industries. Climatic Change, 176(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-022-03478-w

Mejía Dorantes, L., & Murauskaite-Bull, I. (2023). Revisiting transport poverty in Europe through a systematic review. Transportation Research Procedia, 72, 3861–3868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.497

Timmermans, B., Diodato, D., Huergo, E., Rentocchini, F., & Moncada-Paternò-Castello, P. (2023). Introduction to the special issue on “the twin (digital and green) transition: handling the economic and social challenges.” Industry and Innovation, 30(7), 755–765. https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2023.2254272