Skip to content
NUPI skole

Research project

Renewable Energy and Geopolitics

The project examines the geopolitical consequences of a large-scale transition to renewable energy, both in terms of the fading of old energy and geopolitical patterns and systems and the emergence of new ones.

Themes

  • Security policy
  • Terrorism and extremism
  • Development policy
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • Energy

In this project NUPI will carry out analysis of the geopolitical, security and development policy effects of a successful transition to renewable energy.

NUPI will do so by producing a paper, organizing a workshop and providing input to a work plan for further analytical work. This will happen in cooperation with the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, the Belfer Center at the Kennedy School at Harvard University and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Project Manager

Indra Overland
Research Professor

Participants

Ulf Sverdrup
Former Director
Roman Vakulchuk
Senior Research Fellow, Head of Research group on climate and energy
Malin Østevik
Former employee
Mikkel Frøsig Pedersen
Acting Head of Administration

Articles

News
News

Green future – risks and opportunities

NUPI has partnered with Columbia University and Harvard University.

  • Foreign policy
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Governance
  • International organizations

New publications

Publications
Publications
Report

The Geopolitics of Renewable Energy

For a century, the geopolitics of energy has been synonymous with the geopolitics of oil and gas. However, geopolitics and the global energy economy are both changing. The international order predominant since the end of World War II faces mounting challenges. At the same time, renewable energy is growing rapidly. Nevertheless, the geopolitics of renewable energy has received relatively little attention, especially when considering the far-reaching consequences of a global shift to renewable energy. The paper starts with a discussion of seven renewable energy scenarios for the coming decades: the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2016, the EIA’s International Energy Outlook 2016, IRENA’s REmap 2016, Bloomberg’s New Energy Outlook 2016, BP’s Energy Outlook 2016, Exxon-Mobil’s Outlook for Energy 2016 and the joint IEA and IRENA G20 de-carbonization scenario. The paper then discusses seven mechanisms through which renewables could shape geopolitics: Critical materials supply chains, technology and finance, new resource curse, electric grids, reduced oil and gas demand, avoided climate change, and sustainable energy access.

  • International economics
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • International economics
  • Climate
  • Energy

Themes

  • Security policy
  • Terrorism and extremism
  • Development policy
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • Energy

Project Manager

Indra Overland
Research Professor

Participants

Ulf Sverdrup
Former Director
Roman Vakulchuk
Senior Research Fellow, Head of Research group on climate and energy
Malin Østevik
Former employee
Mikkel Frøsig Pedersen
Acting Head of Administration