The Dynamics of Energy Transition Policies in the Times of COVID-19 Crisis and the Conflict in Ukraine

Abstract

From the 1990s to the present, decision-makers around the world have sought to identify the most appropriate legal framework to support the energy transition. This research aims to analyze the institutional dynamics of renewable energy promotion, focusing on regulatory aspects at the European and national level and emphasizing the case of Romania through several comparative approaches. In the context of the conflict in Ukraine, we focused on the issue of coal, which was reconsidered given the dependence of some European countries on this resource. The main research methods used in this study are comparative analysis and analysis of chronological information in a historical context, with correlations being made. The study was structured in three stages, the first from the 1990s until the European Energy Union formation, the second during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the third from the emergence of the conflict in Ukraine, which determined the recalibration of previously adopted measures. Starting from the hypotheses formulated and considering the regulatory scenario conducive to the transfer of public funds to achieve climate neutrality, the results of the study show the fact that, at this stage of the research, the states of the European continent are determined to fight for zero carbon by 2050. One result we found interesting is that almost a year after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, less than a quarter of European states have moved past their assumed deadline for phasing out coal in the national mix.

Citation

Joiţa, D., Dobrotă, C.E. and Fernández-González, R. (2023), "The Dynamics of Energy Transition Policies in the Times of COVID-19 Crisis and the Conflict in Ukraine", Akkaya, B., Apostu, S.A., Hysa, E. and Panait, M. (Ed.) Digitalization, Sustainable Development, and Industry 5.0, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 293-316. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-190-520231015