Dear Colleagues,

A global energy transition that culminates in a low or zero carbon future economy will address the grand challenge of our time, mitigating climate change. The Paris Agreement of 2015 is a key international climate change mitigation accord that is impacting governments, business, and financial institutions worldwide. The energy transition can take varying forms: from an end to or significant decrease in fossil fuel production and consumption with electrification of the energy system and a switch to a renewable or nuclear electricity production; to carbon neutrality by oil and gas firms or decarbonizing of fossil fuel production and consumption through increased efficiency and carbon capture, storage, and use; to transitioning to a zero carbon hydrogen economy; or a combination of these. Critical to the energy transition conversation are considerations of energy security, reliability, accessibility, standards of living, cost, and centralization vs. decentralization. The end game of reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change is clear, but the way forward is obfuscated by complexity.

Innovation is often defined as a solution to reducing emissions, both in existing and new energy systems. We have seen advancements in solar power, battery technology, carbon capture storage and utilization, hydrogen, nuclear and other lower carbon energy sources. The right governance enables innovation. More broadly, institutions and their associated governance mechanisms have the potential to propel energy transition forward.

In this Special Issue, we call for multi- and interdisciplinary research on the topic of innovation and governance for the global energy transition. We welcome empirical and conceptual work that can extend an academic as well as practitioner understanding of energy transition. We are interested in understanding what transition might look like and what the associated levers for success are. Does energy transition mark the end of fossil fuels? If so, what are the broader, systemic implications of this? What is the energy mix that allows for a transition while addressing unintended consequences and spinoff challenges? What complexities are expected and how will they be ameliorated to enable innovation? How should governance structures change to support innovation and the adoption of new energy systems? 

Prof. Dr. Harrie Vredenburg
Dr. Connie Van der Byl
Guest Editors

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• Energy transition
• Innovation
• Climate change
• Electrification
• Governance
• Clean technology
• Renewable energy
• Nuclear energy
• Hydrogen
• Emissions reductions
• Energy efficiency
• Corporate governance
• Regulations
• Policy