Social acceptability of decarbonization solutions in Europe: implications for foresight modeling and long-term energy planning

Social factors are largely overlooked in our energy foresight models, which can lead to a fragile vision of the transition. This thesis seeks to address this gap by developing an innovative methodology to integrate the social acceptability of decarbonization solutions into prospective modeling and scenario building. The aim is to better inform public decision-makers in designing policies that are more inclusive and less risky to implement. After a thorough literature review to identify the various terminologies associated with the social acceptability of decarbonization solutions and the factors that influence it at different spatial and temporal scales, interviews and surveys will be conducted with experts, social groups, and community stakeholders. This will ensure that the perspectives of different actors are taken into account and will help develop a multidisciplinary approach (mainly sociology, engineering, and economics). This preliminary and necessary step will make it possible to explore alternatives for integrating social acceptability and social factors into prospective models and to elaborate scenarios that best reflect the diversity of perspectives. The work will be applied to IFPEN’s new prospective model "Kinesys (TIMES family)" and to CMA’s TIAM-FR. The resulting policies and recommendations will be tailored to the context of social acceptability in the European region.
 

IFP Energies nouvelles is a French public-sector research, innovation and training center. Its mission is to develop efficient, economical, clean and sustainable technologies in the fields of energy, transport and the environment. For more information, see our WEB site. 
IFPEN offers a stimulating research environment, with access to first in class laboratory infrastructures and computing facilities. IFPEN offers competitive salary and benefits packages. All PhD students have access to dedicated seminars and training sessions. 
 

Academic requirements    Engineer (Master’s level) with experience in energy system modeling. Additional knowledge in sociology (courses, projects, etc.) is a plus.
Language requirements    French and English, upper-intermediate (B2) level required.
Other requirements    Familiarity with TIMES modeling would be an advantage.