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Researcher

Indra Overland

Research Professor
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Contactinfo and files

indra.overland@nupi.no
+(47) 901 26 516
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Summary

Indra Overland heads the Research group on climate and energy at NUPI, and is Professor II at Nord University. He did his PhD at the University of Cambridge and has since worked extensively on the post-Soviet energy sector, including oil, gas and renewables.

He was awarded the Toby Jackman Prize for the best PhD dissertation in the year 2000, the Marcel Cadieux Prize for an article on Russia’s Arctic energy policy in the International Journal in 2010, the Stuland Prize at NUPI in 2013 and co-authored the most cited article published in the Journal of Eurasian Studies.

Expertise

  • Regional integration
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • Asia
  • The Arctic
  • Climate
  • Energy

Education

2000 PhD, Scott Polar Research Institute, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Geography, University of Cambridge

Work Experience

2006- Senior Research Fellow/Coordinator, Centre for Energy Research, NUPI

2005-2006 Senior Advisor, Nordic Research Board (NordForsk) on Russia, the Baltic States and EU

2005 External Expert for World Bank in evaluation of Low-Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS)

Aktivitet

Publications
Publications

The failure to decarbonize the global energy education system: Carbon lock-in and stranded skill sets

The energy transition involves the transformation of professions and labour markets, which in turn depend on the availability of a workforce with the right education and competence. This study assesses how quickly global higher education is transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy in terms of educational content. The article is based on a review of 18,400 universities and the creation of a dataset of 6,142 universities that provide energy-specific education in 196 countries. The study compares the prevalence of educational programmes oriented towards fossil fuels and renewable energy. The findings show that the rapid adoption of renewable energy worldwide is not matched by changes in higher education, since universities continue to prioritise coal and petroleum studies. In 2019, 546 universities had faculties and/or degrees dedicated to fossil fuels whereas only 247 universities had faculties and/or degrees in renewable energy. As many as 68% of the world’s energy-focused educational degrees were oriented towards fossil fuels, and only 32% focused on renewable energy. This means that universities are failing to meet the growing demand for a clean energy workforce. At the current rate of change, energy-focused university degrees would be 100% dedicated to renewable energy only by the year 2107. Since a career may last 30-40 years, this creates a risk of long-term carbon lock-in and stranded skill sets through (mis)education. The results also indicate that developing countries lag behind developed ones in this area, even though the need for professionals trained in renewable energy is greater in developing countries. Along with lack of capital, underdeveloped regulatory frameworks for renewable energy, and entrenched fossil-fuel business interests, the mismatch between energy education and the needs of the renewable energy industry may hold back the energy transition in many developing countries.

  • Climate
  • Energy
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  • Climate
  • Energy
Publications
Publications

The EU's CBAM and Its ‘Significant Others’: Three Perspectives on the Political Fallout from Europe's Unilateral Climate Policy Initiative

As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission has launched a tool to protect the fulfilment of Europe's climate policy targets – the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM). It is thought that the CBAM will spark stiff resistance from Europe's external trade partners, potentially undermining the initiative. How this plays out will depend in part on who the opponents and potential allies are – and how the European Union (EU) engages with them. But which non-EU countries have a stake in the CBAM? The criteria for selecting third countries that are relevant for the CBAM are often implicit, which can lead to contradictory policy analyses and confused climate diplomacy. This research note compares three different perspectives that result in different lists of non-EU countries that are important for the success of the CBAM. Awareness of these three perspectives amongst EU actors can help the CBAM succeed.

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Publications
Publications
Policy brief

A role for state governments in social licensing for renewable energy projects in Mexico

In Mexico, energy governance has mainly been a federal matter. However, the state (regional) governments, motivated by environmental and climate concerns, economic development opportunities, and social community needs, have recently started to explore ways to facilitate renewable energy development. But although state governments claim renewable energy reduces energy poverty and express support for a just transition, these projects do not seem to have social licenses—explicit support for them to proceed—at the local community level. The discrepancy between rhetoric and reality is related to the way these projects are negotiated and implemented. In this policy brief we examine two paths that the Mexican states can take to improve the social licensing of renewable energy projects. First, they can establish a framework for ethical conduct and evaluation of the potential impacts of renewable energy projects, including elements such as adherence to international standards, inclusive planning processes, and environmental and social impact assessments. Second, they can implement proactive, engagement-focused measures that empower state and local governments to facilitate renewable energy projects and reduce transaction costs.

  • North America
  • Energy
  • Governance
PB923.PNG
  • North America
  • Energy
  • Governance
Articles
New research
Articles
New research

An urgent call for regional cooperation and adaptation in Central Asia

Central Asia faces severe climate threats. In this newly published book, experts highlight what the region must take into account when tackling these issues.
  • Asia
  • Climate
  • Energy
Publications
Publications
Scientific article

Why carbon border adjustment mechanisms will not save the planet but a climate club and subsidies for transformative green technologies may

We find that both empirical results and economic theory show that carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs) will be ineffective at meeting global goals for carbon emissions reduction; but CBAMs will be effective at improving the competitiveness of the domestic industries by assuring that imports bear equal costs of carbon pricing. We elaborate two complementary proposals that hold greater promise for meeting climate goals: (i) a Climate Club, where member countries impose a minimum price for carbon emissions at home and a tariff surcharge on all imports from non-member countries; and (ii) a 0.2%-of-GDP subsidy by high-income countries for transformative research designed to make green energy cheaper than fossil fuels. We discuss multiple paths for a Climate Club to be accommodated within the rules of the World Trade Organization and recommend use of the exception clause under GATT Article XX.

  • Climate
  • Energy
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  • Climate
  • Energy
Publications
Publications
Chapter
Rahat Sabyrbekov, Roman Vakulchuk, Indra Overland

Introduction to Climate Change in Central Asia

The Central Asian region has been and will continue to be significantly impacted by climate change and all the region’s countries have pledged nation- ally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris agreement. This chapter aims to assess how likely Central Asian countries are to fulfil these pledges. To answer this question, we compare the NDCs to their respective national development programmes and historical trends. The results show that the countries of Central Asia vary in their ability to fulfil their pledges and that doing so will require structural changes to their energy systems, substantial investments in infrastructure and, most importantly, the alignment of their development plans with their declared climate goals. None of the countries have thus far engaged in structural reforms aimed at large-scale climate change adaptation and mitigation.

  • Asia
  • Climate
  • Energy
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  • Asia
  • Climate
  • Energy
Publications
Publications
Roman Vakulchuk, Indra Overland, Rahat Sabyrbekov

Climate Change in Central Asia: Decarbonization, Energy Transition and Climate Policy

This chapter provides a broad introduction to the impact of climate change in Central Asia, a region that has been experiencing a greater rise in temperatures than other parts of the world. The chapter shows how climate change represents a significant threat to Central Asia, exacerbating existing economic and environmental challenges and fueling regional tensions over resource management. Inefficient water resource management at the national level and limited regional collaboration on the management of water resources, coupled with state capacities that remain insuffi- cient to tackle climate change impacts, compound water-related tensions between the countries in the region. The chapter also shows how decarbonisation efforts in Central Asia are still in their early stages, with coal remaining a primary source of energy. Although the Central Asian countries have announced decarbonisation targets and adopted green economy strategies and programmes to reduce green- house gas emissions, a large-scale clean energy transition remains unlikely in the short term. The chapter concludes by identifying a lack of scholarship on climate change in Central Asia, which limits the development of a coherent approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation and evidence-based decision-making in the region. The chapter argues that a more coordinated approach to tackling climate change across the region is needed, requiring closer collaboration and more effective joint management of natural resources by the five Central Asian states. Finally, the chapter presents the chapters in the rest of the book.

  • Asia
  • Climate
  • Energy
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  • Asia
  • Climate
  • Energy
Publications
Publications
Chapter
Roman Vakulchuk, Indra Overland, Rahat Sabyrbekov

Central Asian Climate Policy Pledges Under the Paris Agreement: Can They Be Fulfilled?

The Central Asian region has been and will continue to be significantly impacted by climate change and all the region’s countries have pledged nation- ally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris agreement. This chapter aims to assess how likely Central Asian countries are to fulfil these pledges. To answer this question, we compare the NDCs to their respective national development programmes and historical trends. The results show that the countries of Central Asia vary in their ability to fulfil their pledges and that doing so will require structural changes to their energy systems, substantial investments in infrastructure and, most importantly, the alignment of their development plans with their declared climate goals. None of the countries have thus far engaged in structural reforms aimed at large-scale climate change adaptation and mitigation.

  • Development policy
  • Asia
  • Climate
  • Energy
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  • Development policy
  • Asia
  • Climate
  • Energy
Publications
Publications
Chapter
Roman Vakulchuk, Indra Overland, Rahat Sabyrbekov

Energy Transition in Central Asia: A Systematic Literature Review

While there is abundant research on the expansion of renewable energy in developed countries, little attention has been paid to the decarbonisation of energy systems in Central Asia, despite the region’s vulnerability to climate change, its rapidly growing domestic energy demand and the abundance of natural resources essential for the energy transition. Based on a systematic review of the literature, this chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the profile and trajectory of research on energy in Central Asia between 1991 and 2022. It finds that there was a shift from focusing on fossil fuels to clean energy around 2019–2020. However, despite recent growth, research on renewables and their significance in Central Asia is still sparse. This review indicates that while American and European researchers took the lead in this field in 2012, China, Japan, Kazakhstan and Russia have emerged as the leading contributors since 2016.

  • Asia
  • Energy
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  • Asia
  • Energy
Publications
Publications
Scientific article

Russian nuclear energy diplomacy and its implications for energy security in the context of the war in Ukraine

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the possibility of reducing Europe’s energy dependence on Russian resources has been hotly debated. The fossil fuel industries received most attention as European Union leaders first introduced gradual sanctions on Russian coal and later on oil and gas, while Russia responded with supply cuts. However, Russia’s role as a major player in the global nuclear power sector has remained largely below the sanctions radar, despite dependencies on Russian nuclear technology, uranium supplies and handling of spent nuclear fuel. Here we analyse the state nuclear company Rosatom and its subsidiaries as tools of Russian energy statecraft. We map the company’s global portfolio, then categorize countries where Russia is active according to the degree and intensity of dependence. We offer a taxonomy of long-term energy dependencies, highlighting specific security risks associated with each of them. We conclude that the war and Russia’s actions in the energy sector will undermine Rosatom’s position in Europe and damage its reputation as a reliable supplier, but its global standing may remain strong.

  • Security policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • Conflict
  • Energy
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  • Security policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • Conflict
  • Energy
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