Energy policy, sustainability & management

This course consists of two complementary parts:

Part 1: Geopolitics of Energy (24 hours)

Professor A. El Gammal, with contributions from two external lecturers.

Part 2: Sustainable Energy (10 hours)

Professor M. Messagie, with contributions from four external lecturers.

Since the beginning of the 2020s, the acceleration and convergence of global crises have transformed the geopolitical order that emerged after the end of the Cold War.
In just a few years, the world has moved from a Western-designed and largely US-led multilateral order towards an increasingly multipolar system. At the same time, multilateralism and the rules-based international order are being challenged by a renewed politics of power, giving rise to what has been described as a new “world disorder”.

Against this background, the course examines how the European Union can respond to the existential challenges it faces while safeguarding its prosperity, security and strategic autonomy. This increasingly complex geopolitical environment coincides with the urgent need to transform the global energy system in response to the threat of climate change. Together, these developments represent some of the most complex technical, political and societal challenges confronting contemporary societies.
Anchored in the analysis of recent developments, the course provides a holistic and systemic perspective on energy and international affairs. It offers students the conceptual tools needed to interpret current events, assess possible future scenarios and understand the forces shaping the energy systems of tomorrow.

Part 1: Geopolitics of Energy — 24 hours
This part of the course introduces the fundamental principles of energy politics and demonstrates why the geopolitics of energy is essential to understanding international affairs and contemporary global developments.
It examines the central role of energy resources in shaping relations between states and provides a historical analysis of the ways in which security of supply has influenced international relations. The course then considers how climate change and the transition towards a low-carbon energy system are progressively shifting the world away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources and other low-carbon technologies. This transformation is fundamentally reshaping the strategic interests and relationships of states and regions worldwide.
The course also introduces major socioeconomic and energy scenarios developed by organisations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). It examines the European Union’s long-term climate and energy strategy and considers its likely implications over the coming decades.
The subject is particularly important in light of the unprecedented transformation of energy policy driven by two major developments:

• The climate emergency, which requires the rapid transformation of energy systems from fossil fuels towards low-carbon and renewable energy sources.
  2. The emergence of a new "World dis-Order, marked by major geopolitical crises, including

  • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which has profoundly challenged the post-Cold War geopolitical order and generated far-reaching and long-term consequences worlwide.

  • The conflicts and escalating tensions in the Middle East, including the confrontation involving Israel, the United States and Iran, and their broader regional and global repercussions.

Particular attention is given to the strategic challenges facing the EU, including energy security, strategic autonomy, economic competitiveness, technological dependence and the management of new energy-related vulnerabilities. The course concludes by considering possible future scenarios for Europe and the global energy system.

Part 2: Sustainable Energy — 10 hours

This part consists of five seminars delivered by external lecturers. It introduces key concepts and references for understanding applied energy systems, examines the principal challenges associated with sustainable energy, and presents innovative technological and systemic solutions.
This part consists of 4 seminars delivered by external lecturers. It introduces key concepts and references for understanding applied energy systems, examines the principal challenges associated with sustainable energy, and presents innovative technological and systemic solutions

Assessment
The course will be assessed through a written examination held in January. The examination will cover both parts of the course
 

• Understand how energy is core to the development of nations.
• Understand how the Geopolitics of Energy constitute an essential key to understanding international political developments
• Understand the fundamental elements driving the energy debate in the context of sustainable development, particularly of global warming and the energy transition.
• Get familiar with EU and international frameworks relating to climate and energy
• Develop a holistic, multi-dimensional and critical approach to understanding global energy related politics, beyond the usually oversimplified public debate.
• Understand how the required change in the energy paradigm will affect all aspects of our lives.

Connaissances et compétences pré-requises ou co-requises

Part 1: Geopolitics of Energy

• General understanding of the concept of energy in its multidimensional aspects
• General understanding of the role of energy in the development of nations
• General awareness of the relationship between climate and energy
• General awareness of global and EU climate and energy framework (UN, UNFCC, COP, IPCC, …)

Part 2: Sustainable Energy

None

Part 1: Geopolitics of Energy
Ex cathedra course (24h) 
Lessons are generally interactive and physical presence is highly recommended 

Part 2: Sustainable Energy

4 sessions of 2 hours given by professors and external experts.
Attendance to the seminars and course activities are compulsory.

Références, bibliographie et lectures recommandées

Part 1: Geopolitics of Energy

• IPCC AR5 (2014) & AR6 (2021-2022)
• IEA, Special Flagship Report, Net Zero by 2050 (2021)
• REPowerEU, European Commission, 2022

Part 2: Sustainable Energy

B. EVERETT, G. BOYLE, S. PEAKE, J. RAMAGE - Energy Systems and Sustainability –Oxford University Press, 2012 - 653 pages - ISBN: 978-0-19-959374-3 – 42 £

D. MACKAY - Sustainable Energy – without the hot air – UIT Cambridge Ltd, 2009 – 380 pages - ISBN: 978-0954452933 - Free download: http://www.withouthotair.com/

IEA: "Energy statistics Manual", 2005 and "Energy Efficiency Indicators: Fundamentals on Statistics", 2014. – Free download - https://webstore.iea.org/statistics-data   

NREL – A manual for the Economic Evaluation of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technologies, 1995 - Free download - https://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/old/5173.pdf

Support(s) de cours

• Université virtuelle

Informations complémentaires

The classes can be given on VUB Campus.

The attendance to the seminars is mandatory.

Contacts

Prof. Adel El Gammal:       adel.el.gammal@ulb.be
Prof. Michel Huart:             michel.huart@ulb.be
Prof. Marten Message:        Maarten.Messagie@vub.be
 

Campus

Solbosch

Méthode(s) d'évaluation

• Examen écrit
• Examen oral
• Travail de groupe

Examen écrit

Examen oral

Travail de groupe

2 hours written exam in January

Construction de la note (en ce compris, la pondération des notes partielles)

The final notation will be constituted by the average of notations on each part of the course.
85% for Part 1 "Geopolitics of Energy"
15% for Part 2 "Sustainable Energy"
 

Langue(s) d'évaluation

• anglais
• (éventuellement français )