Contemporary challenges of climate change, increased global energy demand, but also the rise of the cost of primary energy and the depletion of fossil fuel resources have placed the energy issues at the centre of political debate. The consequent impact in the society makes it timely and urgent to address the social aspects of energy policy. Yet, to date, social sciences have been slow to respond in addressing the range of important questions and issues regarding changes in the energy sector. This conference aims to bring together state-of-the-art research and thinking and to provide insights that may contribute to a better understanding of social science aspects in the energy field.

The conference Energy & Society will be held at Instituto de Ciências Sociais (Lisbon University), in Lisbon, Portugal, March 22 - 24, 2012.

Contemporary challenges of climate change, increased global energy demand, but also the rise of the cost of primary energy and the depletion of fossil fuel resources have placed the energy issues at the centre of political debate. The consequent impact in the society makes it timely and urgent to address the social aspects of energy policy.

Yet, to date, social sciences have been slow to respond in addressing the range of important questions and issues regarding changes in the energy sector. This conference aims to bring together state-of-the-art research and thinking and to provide insights that may contribute to a better understanding of social science aspects in the energy field.

The event will feature a keynote by distinguished Dr. Harold Wilhite, and will feature distinguished guests, such as Dr. John Randell (US) or Dr. Françoise Bartiaux (BE). In addition to thematic panels of regular paper presentations, the program will include a session for debating the development of the role of social sciences in the energy policy debate. The conference will provide an opportunity for networking, and to establish international research and collaboration.

Bringing together scholars from Europe, and elsewhere, interested and/or currently working in social aspects of energy issues, this conference will formalize the international network "Energy and Society" originally founded in 2010, and will host its first a general assembly.

With the support of the European Sociological Association's Research Network on Environment and Society (RN12), the International Sociological Association Research Committee on Environment and Society, and ADENE, Agência para a Energia.

Detailed program

Thursday, 22th March

14:30 – 15:00 – Welcome and introduction (Auditório)

• Jorge Vala, director of ICS-UL
• Luísa Schmidt, ICS-UL

Introduction of the keynote speaker: Françoise Bartiaux, UCL

15:00 – 16:30 - Keynote presentation: Harold Wilhite, Univ. Oslo: “The space accorded to the social science of energy consumption is (finally) expanding: Where can we draw inspiration?”

16:30 – 17:00 - Coffee break (fair trade)

17:00 – 18:30 - Parallel thematic sessions

Thematic session 1 (Auditório)

Energy consumption practices Chair: Luísa Schmidt, ICS-UL

Compartmentalisation or domino effects between ‘green’ consumers’ practices? Some topics of practice theories observed with an Internet survey

• Climate Change, Social Change and Social Reproduction: Exploring energy demand reduction through a biographical lens Challenging the framing of ‘space’ in the Theory of Practice.
• Research findings from a European study on Energy-efficient renovation’s practices in the residential sector
• Kicking the habit. Identifying crucial themes of a sociology of energy sensibilities
• From structural factors to individual practices: reasoning on the main paths for action on energy efficiency
• Autonomy and proximity in household heating practices – the case of wood burning stoves
• Energy housing consumption. Practices, rationalities and motivations of inhabitants
• Understanding energy consumption in domestic households

Thematic session 2 (Sala polivalente)

Energy policies and sustainability Chair: Júlia Seixas, FCT-UNL

• The Energy Community of South East Europe and its lacking social dimension. Confronting problems of perception and representation
• Carbon Capture and Storage: Mapping Ethical Landscapes
• Governance of new Technologies in the Energy Sector: Between Adaptation and Exploitation – The Role of State Actors
• Who or what is the general public? Public Engagement in Post Carbon Strategies
• The Athabasca Tar Sands At the Precipice: The Influential Role of Non-Conventional Fossil Fuel Production in Morphogenesis
• When Energy Demands? Sustainable Governance, Disengagement and Waste-to-Energy in France
• The role of civil society participation in EU energy policy-making. Lessons for the elaboration of EU energy policies

Friday, 23th March

9:00 – 10:45: Parallel thematic sessions

Thematic session 3 (Sala polivalente)

Public acceptability Chair: Lars Kjerulf Petersen, AU

Thematic session 4 (Sala 1)

Energy poverty, justice and development Chair: Cigdem Adem, PAITME

Thematic session 5 (Sala 2)

Energy cultures Chair: Catherine Butler, CU

10:45 – 11:00 – Coffee break (fair trade)

11:00 – 12:45 – Parallel thematic sessions

Thematic session 6 (Sala polivalente)

Technologies and social change Chair: André Schaffrin, UC

Thematic session 7 (Sala 1)

Energy demand, market and innovation Chair: Pia Laborgne, IWAR & EIFER

Thematic session 8 (Sala 2)

Renewable energy policies Chair: António Sá da Costa, APREN

14:30 – 16:15 – Parallel thematic sessions

Thematic session 9 (Sala polivalente)

Energy transition and governance Chair: Olivia Bina, ICS-UL

Thematic session 10 (Sala 1)

Behaviour change Chair: Françoise Bartiaux, UCL

16:15 – 16:45 – Coffee break (fair trade)

16:45 – 18:30 - Plenary debate on the development of the role of social sciences in energy policy

(Sala polivalente)

Keynote speaker: John Randell, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Chair: Filipe Duarte Santos, vice-chair of Energy’s WG EEAC (European Environmental Advisory Council)
20:00 – Optional conference dinner

Saturday, 24th March

9:00 – 10:45 – Parallel thematic sessions

Thematic session 11 (Sala polivalente)

Sustainable energy systems and local communities Chair: Ana Horta, ICS-UL

Thematic session 12 (Sala 1)

Material structures and social impacts Chair: Giorgio Osti, UST

10:45 – 11:00 – Coffee break (fair trade)

11:00 – 12:30 - Energy & Society Network general meeting (Sala polivalente)

Chair: Matthias Gross, ESHCER-UFZ

12:30 – 13:00 – Sum up of the conference (Sala polivalente)

Speaker: Tim O’Riordan, UEA

Organising Committee

• Luísa Schmidt, Universidade de Lisboa - Instituto de Ciências Sociais (Portugal)
• Ana Horta, Universidade de Lisboa - Instituto de Ciências Sociais (Portugal)
• Françoise Bartiaux, Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium)
• Pia Laborgne, IWAR/TU Darmstadt and European Institute for Energy Research (Germany)
• Giorgio Osti, Università degli Studi di Trieste - Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali (Italy)
• Catherine Butler, Cardiff University - School of Psychology (UK)
• Cigdem Adem, The Public Administration Institute for Turkey and the Middle East (Turkey)
• André Schaffrin, University of Cologne (Germany)

Local organizing committee

• Luísa Schmidt, Universidade de Lisboa - Instituto de Ciências Sociais (Portugal)
• Ana Horta, Universidade de Lisboa - Instituto de Ciências Sociais (Portugal)
• Augusta Correia, Universidade de Lisboa - Instituto de Ciências Sociais (Portugal)
• Joana Abreu, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa – Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal)

Venue

Instituto de Ciências Sociais
Avenida Professor Aníbal de Bettencourt, 9
600-189 Lisbon - Portugal

Registration

Interested participants are required to register by sending an e-mail to ana.horta@ics.ul.pt
Participants simply attending the conference may register until March 19.
Regular fee for participants registered after January 31: 50 €
Reduced fee for ESA members (registered after January 31): 40 €
Free entry for ICS students