Shifts in the smart research agenda? 100 priority questions to accelerate sustainable energy futures

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137946
• Publication Date: 2023-07-05T22:39:22Z
• Authors: Rosie Robison; Tomas Moe Skjølsvold; Tom Hargreaves; Sara Renström; Maarten Wolsink; Emily Judson; Viera Pechancová; Melike Demirbağ-K...; Hug March; Johanna Lehne; Chris Foulds; Zareen Bharucha; Liliia Bilous; Christian Büscher; Giuseppe Carrus; Sarah Darby; Sylvie Douzou; Mojca Drevenšek; Bohumil Frantál; Ângela Guimarães ...; Andrew Karvonen; Cecilia Katzeff; Maria Kola-Bezka; Senja Laakso; Gudrun Lettmayer; Yael Parag; Fanni Sáfián; Mariusz Swora; Lise Tjørring; Ellen van der Werff; Bas van Vliet; Grégoire Wallenborn; Annemie Wyckmans
• Keywords: Grand Challenges; Thematic Analysis; Futures studies

Energy transitions are at the top of global agendas in response to growing challenges climate change and international conflict, with EU positioning itself as playing a pivotal role addressing risks sustainability imperatives. European energy transition policies identify ‘smart consumption’ key element these efforts, which have previously been explored from predominantly technical perspective thus often failing or address fundamental interlinkages social systems consequences. This paper aims contribute interdisciplinary research by analysing forward looking ‘Horizon Scan’ agenda for smart consumption, driven Social Sciences Humanities (SSH). Reflecting on an extensive systematic Delphi Method exercise surveying over 70 SSH scholars various institutional settings across Europe, we highlight what see future directions consumption research. Building seven thematic areas (under grouped 100 questions), study identifies three ‘shifts’ this new represents, when compared previous agendas: (1) From technological inevitability political choice, highlighting need wider critique, potential open up discussions instrumentalisation research; (2) narrow representation diverse inclusion, moving beyond shortcomings current discourses engaging marginalised communities; (3) individual consumers interconnected citizens, reframing offer broader model governance. scholarship is essential shifts meaningful (rather than tokenistic) ways. it embodies represent tools enable better working between teams natural sciences.