ConTE

Funded by:

Funded by the French CNRS Institute for Humanities and Social Science

Information About the Joint Project

The chair of Political Field Analysis and Environmental Politics is participating in the project “Energy Transitions Litigation, an Observatory of Energy and Climate Governance Challenges at the Local Level (ConTE),” which is being sponsored by the French CNRS Institute for Humanities and Social Science for a period of five years (2024 to 2028).

Although the ongoing climate crisis has placed the issue of renewable energies at the forefront of national and international political agendas for several years now, many countries are still lagging behind when it comes to implementation – not least due to hesitance and even oppostion in civil society. The causes for this range from social tensions to clear conflicts of interest, as well as social and territorial inequalities. These lead increasingly frequently to legal conflicts. It is this kind of resistance, in particular political involvement and the influence of lobbying, that is the focus of this research collaboration. The researchers’ activities will be structured around three distinct lines of inquiry. Firstly, the governance structures relating to energy policies will be examined to contextualize the phenomenon of legal disputes at an institutional level. Secondly, they will look into the similarities and differences in legal disputes relating to the energy transition and climate policy, with a special focus on the activities of recognized climate associations. Finally, the researchers will analyze the effects of these legal proceedings on energy and climate policies as well as developments in legislation.

The FernUniversität will be partnered in the project by the Centre d’études et de recherches administratives, politiques et sociales (CERAPS) from the Université de Lille, the University of Tokyo, the Waseda University, and the Climate Change Adaptation Center in Kyoto. This French-German-Japanese research collaboration not only bundles top-tier international expertise but is also strengthened by extensive interdisciplinary exchange. The ConTE project brings together researchers from the realms of law, sociology, political science and geography. During the project, five conferences are planned which will take place in France, Germany and Japan. The results of the project will be shared not only with academics but also representatives from the worlds of politics and civil society.