Empowered Futures

Empowered Futures Research School open for new members | NMBU | NMBU Be part of a strong network of industry, academic and societal partners and get access to fully funded courses, field trips and internships. Deadline for applications: 25 November 2025.

Calling PhD energy researchers! Our Call for Candidates 2025 is now open!

Be part of a strong network of industry, academic and societal partners and gain access to fully funded courses, field trips and internships.

Apply by 25 November 2025.
www.nmbu.no/en/research/...

www.nmbu.no/en/faculties...

In June 2025, Empowered Futures member Larry Ibrahim Mohammed visited our partner institution, the Fridtjof Nansen Institute ‪@fridtjofnanseninst.bsky.social‬, for a two-week practicum. Read what inspired Larry's visit and his reflections on this memorable experience. www.nmbu.no/en/faculties...

Empowered Futures Alumni Podcast Episode 1 - Dr. Harald Grabher Listen to Empowered Futures Alumni Podcast Episode 1 - Dr. Harald Grabher by Empowered Futures #np on #SoundCloud

🎙️Episode 1 is here!! 🎉
We’re kicking off our alumni podcast series with Dr Harald Grabher. Join us as we reconnect, reflect, and get inspired by the journeys of those shaping the future.

👉 Don’t miss it — tune in now! soundcloud.com/empowered-fu...

The dawn of solar photovoltaics: emergent political economies at the solar–agri–land nexus - Sustainability Science Solar power is the most rapidly growing energy source worldwide. Solar turn holds potential for a significant shift to renewable energy and swift reductions in carbon emissions. Yet, as a land- and re...

I'm happy to share that our Special Issue is now complete, and our editorial introduction has just been published in Sustainability Science!

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

@sidsareen.bsky.social @uibcet.bsky.social @empoweredfutures.bsky.social @fridtjofnanseninst.bsky.social

Who owns the wind? – The Independent How a trip to Scotland’s Orkney Islands raises questions of renewable energy benefits for communities in Newfoundland and Labrador

Who owns the wind? Read member Angela Antle's @acantle.bsky.social commentary on how the renewable energy approaches of Scotland’s Orkney Islands raises questions of renewable energy benefits for communities in Canada's Newfoundland and Labrador. theindependent.ca/commentary/e...

Photography as an Approach in Energy Transitions Research: Visual Surveying, Auto-Photography & Photo-Elicitation in Scotland’s Orkney Islands - Neil Gordon Davey, 2025 Modern technology has significantly enhanced the accessibility of photography, broadening its use across various scientific disciplines. Digital cameras and sma...

Photography is a powerful tool for understanding complex contexts, co-creating knowledge, and capturing the unseen impacts of energy transitions. Read more in this new publication by Neil Gordon Davey: doi.org/10.1177/1609...

Justice by Design: Integrating energy justice and responsible research and innovation (RRI) to deliver just energy futures The deployment of low-carbon energy systems will have a variety of social and environmental impacts. Notwithstanding this, current just transitions wo…

Check out this highly relevant new paper on energy justice by EF member, Lara Santos Ayllón and co-authors, Kirsten Jenkins and Sandy Kerr. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

www.nmbu.no/en/faculties...

In beautiful #Rjukan for day three of our PhD course on prefigurative politics & just energy transitions - exploring industrial heritage, riding #Gaustabanen, summiting #Gaustatoppen! Grateful for the learning, landscape & laughter. Photos: Empowered Futures &
@sidsareen.bsky.social

Our PhD course - 'Prefigurative politics and the changing rhythms of just energy transitions' - already packed a punch this morning, but the afternoon took it to another level with a masterclass from the brilliant Gordon Walker, diving into key debates in energy justice.

At the Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), @uio.no University of Oslo for Day 2 of our PhD course! We started with Tanja Winther’s inspiring masterclass on gender and electricity. Excited for more on prefigurative politics and just energy transitions today!

Day one of our PhD course at FNI @fridtjofnanseninst.bsky.social ended with a lovely reception and tour of Polhøgda, Fridtjof Nansen’s historic home. Earlier, Gordon Walker gave a brilliant keynote on energy rhythms—and a few brave souls even dipped in the Oslo fjord at lunch!
@noragric.bsky.social

Tor Håkon Jackson Inderberg @thinderberg.bsky.social continues the morning at FNI @fridtjofnanseninst.bsky.social with a masterclass on anchoring climate policy, as our PhDs dive into key policies shaping just energy transitions in their own research. #EnergyTransitions #PrefigurativePolitics

At historic Polhøgda today, home of Fridtjof Nansen and our partner @fridtjofnanseninst.bsky.social, launching our 2025 PhD course on prefigurative politics. @sidsareen.bsky.social kicks things off as we explore how shifting energy systems reshape our climate, politics & futures.

“Mitti se Sona [Gold from Dirt]?”: Solar India and colonial modernity in Agropastoral Rajasthan Reflecting the prioritization of techno “fixes” over the socio-political dimension leading to anthropogenic climate change, there is a global surge of…

Our article on Solar India is out!

@sidsareen.bsky.social @uibcet.bsky.social @empoweredfutures.bsky.social

Oslo’s Climate Shift in Urban Planning: From Tradition to Innovation | Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy Land-use planning and related regulations are employed as purposeful planning tools in Oslo. Oslo municipality anchors its efforts in four key climate considerations: (a) planning for less transport and more public transport, walking, and cycling, (b) creating climate resilience, (c) preserving carbon in soil and vegetation, and (d) building in a climate- and nature-friendly manner. Among these, transportation has been most prevalent over time. For decades, Oslo’s planning philosophy has prioritized development from the city centre outward, focusing on densification around transport hubs. Weaknesses in how climate has been handled as part of planning have been identified at a national level. The Planning and Building Act and its implementation need to be strengthened. Oslo has led efforts to expand the interpretation and application of the Planning and Building Act, particularly in regulating emissions from construction. At a local level this relates closely with developing a broad approach spanning from green mobility to climate resilience through energy use, materials, and building activities. In the same year that the city council passed Oslo’s new climate strategy, a dialogue-based tool on these themes was implemented as part of the planning process. Today, the municipality is working to legalize this approach. Simultaneously, national experts have raised similar issues, and there is an interplay between levels of governance. Developing competencies in the municipality and internal networks and working with external networks in other parts of public administration and the building sector have been the main success factors in this work.

EF member @hildesol.bsky.social showcases how Oslo's land-use planning reduces transport emissions, boosts climate resilience, preserves carbon, and promotes eco-friendly construction, highlighting collaboration and robust regulations as the key to success. 🌍🏙️

utppublishing.com/doi/10.3138/...

“This will destroy Jeev and Jantu”: infrastructures of modernity across water, energy, and land in Jaisalmer, India - Sustainability Science In the context of contemporary socioecological crises brought about through the political ontology of colonial capitalism, concerns about planetary conditions and their mounting pervasive impacts cont...

New article by EF member @shayanshokrgozar.bsky.social and colleagues, Ashish Naik and @iamsubina.bsky.social! They explore how colonial capitalism's developmental and ecological projects in Rajasthan, India, continue to harm agropastoral communities in Jaisalmer.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Urgent transition, urgent extraction? Global decarbonization, national governance, and local impacts in the Indonesian nickel industry - IOPscienceSearch Urgent transition, urgent extraction? Global decarbonization, national governance, and local impacts in the Indonesian nickel industry, Hyldmo, Håkon da Silva, Wardhani, Indah Surya, Kurniawan, Nanang Indra, Cahayati, Devy Dhian, Rye, Ståle Angen, Vela-Almeida, Diana

Check out Håkon da Silva Hyldmo and team's latest publication on how centralizing Indonesian nickel governance has boosted extraction rates but also intensified social and environmental impacts in Sulawesi: iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

“This will destroy Jeev and Jantu”: infrastructures of modernity across water, energy, and land in Jaisalmer, India - Sustainability Science In the context of contemporary socioecological crises brought about through the political ontology of colonial capitalism, concerns about planetary conditions and their mounting pervasive impacts cont...

1/ It’s nice to see this paper, co-authored with Ashish Naik and @iamsubina.bsky.social, make its way out into the world!

doi.org/10.1007/s116...

@uibcet.bsky.social

Our final afternoon in Orkney was packed with sunshine and inspiration! We heard about EMEC’s pioneering wave & tidal energy work, explored energy poverty with Florian Ahrens & Francesca Perotti; and a visit to EMEC’s Billia Croo wave testing site wrapped up the day with breathtaking views.

Stunning day again here in #Orkney! This morning, Mikaela Vasstrøm explored energy policy adaptation and governance for efficiency & justice, while Sandy Kerr discussed community benefits bridging land & sea. Plus, conversations on how #energytransitions & tech drive #sustainable local development.

It's been an inspiring week so far in Orkney. Thanks to Dan Lee for an unforgettable 'energy archaeology' tour. Another highlight today was Neil Davey's photography exhibition, offering a stunning and thought-provoking view of the islands' evolving energy story. The week continues to impress!

Day 2 of our Orkney field course kicks off with breathtaking views of Kirkwall Bay and an inspiring session on energy-scapes led by Laura Clausen. Excited to see what the rest of this incredible day has in store!

Big thanks this afternoon to Rebecca Ford, Mark Hull & Sweyn Johnston for sharing their expertise on community energy, resilience & Orkney’s council-owned wind farms.

Tomorrow: energy-scapes, energy archaeology & an energy photo exhibition, with Laura Clausen, Dan Lee & Neil Davey.

An amazing start to our field course in Orkney! Huge thanks to ICNZ for the fantastic venue. So far, we've explored energy justice in Scotland and Orkney with Lara Santos Ayllón & Kirsten Jenkins. Plus, we have incredible weather to wander the streets of Stromness!

Aspects influencing security and resilience in a decentralized electricity sector (275919) | NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology Job title: Aspects influencing security and resilience in a decentralized electricity sector (275919), Employer: NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Deadline: Monday, March 31, 2025

Interested in social science PhD within electricity regulation? Or know anyone who might be? Have a look at this position: decentralization and security of supply with an eye on policy, regulatory, and organizational aspects of the electricity sector, in Norway.

www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

Meet Lea Sasse! Lea joined us in 2023.

Lea, a #PhD candidate at University of Stavanger, focuses on the justice implications of the #electricvehicle transition, exploring #communityengagement, #environmentalgovernance, and supply chain tensions through case studies in Germany and Argentina.

From the Rainforest to the Fjords: examining equity in carbon capture and storage climate policy Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is considered by some to be a critical climate change mitigation technology, and a key element in efforts to limit the global temperature increases in line with the...

Check out this new article by EF member, Lina Lefstad @fossilfoolsfelina.bsky.social and co-author Natalia Rubiano Rivadeneira that explores the risks of misapplying CCS technology in a comparative study from Brazil and Norway. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Empowered Futures on LinkedIn: Empowered Futures PhD course 2025 🌟 Exciting Opportunity for PhD Energy Scholars! 🌟 We're thrilled to announce the call for applications for this year's Empowered Futures PhD…

Our PhD course call for applications is open: "Prefigurative politics and the changing rhythms of just energy transitions."https://www.linkedin.com/posts/empowered-futures-research-school_empowered-futures-phd-course-2025-activity-7283545007997792256-yHY2?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop