Inclusive Energy Transition

The world is facing a climate crisis. Due to global warming, we are already experiencing serious problems with extreme drought and heat, floods, fires, tornados, and melting ice on polar caps. A major cause of climate problems is the current fossil-fuel-based energy system. 

Addressing this issue requires an energy transition. The system change demands new structures, from infrastructure to legislation, and profound changes in behavior, routines and practices of citizens, businesses and governments. 

Significant changes are required

This concerns for for example changes in environmental laws for businesses, the switch to electric transport, house insulation, and new energy sources to heat homes and commercial buildings. Given the many and significant changes that are required, action is needed across society. For the energy transition to succeed, it is important that everyone can participate.

But here is a challenge: citizens with lower incomes are disproportionately affected by these measures or cannot keep up with them. Similarly, some companies are hit harder than others. As a result, the energy transition increases socio-economic disparities. The ideas and concerns of all citizens must be heard to enable a just and inclusive energy transition. 

Sustainable energy future

The Inclusive Energy Transition Honours Program is designed to equip students, our future experts, with the knowledge and skills needed to drive sustainable change. It provides masterstudents with the insights, tools, and interdisciplinary approach necessary to shape a just and sustainable energy future. 

The international and interdisciplinary honours programme "Inclusive Energy Transition" is open to master's students from Erasmus University Rotterdam, TU Delft, and Leiden University. The programme consists of interactive seminars, and apractical assignment in which students work on a real life problem/challenge that a company or public organization is dealing with. Recent topics have included: strategies for combatting energy poverty; energy justice, and the role of banking in the energy transition.

Contribute to the energy transition

Through the assignment, the programme provides students with the opportunity to collaborate with a company or public organization in the energy sector on a real-life issue. Students develop important skills and experience by working in practice, and they concretely contribute to the energy transition. Some of our previous partners have included: Eneco, Greenchoice, TopSector Energie, Port of Rotterdam, and TNO.