ETI World Café: Towards Equitable and Sustainable Energy Transition
On Nov 9th, the Energy Transition Institute (ETI) of UMass Amherst organized the “World Café 2021” event at the Campus Center of UMass Amherst. Its aim was to bring together UMass faculty and staff researchers working/interested in the transition to a decarbonized economy. Attendees of the event learned about each other’s work and embraced interdisciplinary collaboration for the sustainable energy transition. I had the opportunity to volunteer for the event, where I learned more about the current problems in energy transition, the importance of interdisciplinary ideas, and possible pathways for essential decarbonization.
The event progressed with the theme of the World Café. About thirty participants from more than fifteen departments at the UMass Amherst attended the event. The event started with the welcome note from the special guest Judy Chang, Undersecretary of Energy and Climate Solutions for Massachusetts, followed by Faculties and Staff Researchers engaging in round table discussion on the pathways for the equitable transition to renewable energy.
Discussions at the event were framed around three broad questions.
What could an equitable energy transition look and feel like?
How do you imagine technological innovation could play a role in an equitable energy transition?
What aspects of the equitable energy transition are most exciting or motivating to you as a researcher?
Each table formed groups of 4 or 5 to discuss and then moved to the new table after each round. In their discussion, they brought their interdisciplinary insights. It was a great way to collaborate and build ideas. Discussion topics in the two-hour event ranged from
The economics and politics of energy transition
Technical aspects of different energy sources (wind, solar, hydropower, biomimicry, etc.)
The problem of energy storage
Energy generation and use practices in various sectors
Forestry, waste management, computing, and other topics.
Equity and access to clean energy, a safe environment, health, and biodiversity were always at the center of discussion.
Scott Auerbach, Professor of Chemistry, and Krista Harper, Professor of Anthropology.
In solving complex issues like energy transition and climate change, we need a multidimensional perspective to ensure a clear and shared vision for the future. Discussants at the World Café 2021 emphasized the need to seize the day, push for more ambitious goals and do things differently. To ensure the equitable transition to clean energy, we need to rethink the energy generation, consumption, supply chain, and decision-making process. Especially with proven environmental injustices, the transition to clean energy provides us with the opportunity to ensure justice. Some of the discussion highlights are-
Decision-making processes are essential in making cleaner energy more affordable and accessible. We need investment in innovation and deployment of cleaner technologies in all communities so that communities can transition to better environments. In the process, it is essential to acknowledge that the issues of inequality in the past still shape how the new technologies are adopted today.
One crucial aspect of technological innovation and deployment is accessibility. To ensure accessibility for all, technological innovations should be pooled from all possible sources, including existing and emerging industries like data centers, cryptocurrency mining, other high energy-consuming industries, etc. These industries have a tremendous potential to reshape the energy landscape.
The discussion also addressed the importance of identifying the emissions sites and building creative carbon accounting during the energy transition process. Discussants also emphasized the need for electricity conservation by deploying affordable smart systems and energy-efficient technologies and reducing the overall demand and cost for energy.
In terms of technology adoption, we need to reach out to communities who are left out of the conversation. We need to crowdsource the meaning of the energy transition from different communities and identify barriers for a smooth transition. Policies should be adjusted and implemented to ensure equitable energy transition in the inequitable society. We need to build systems designed for the needs of disadvantaged communities as well.
The world realizes more and more the need to transition to clean energy. This energy transition likely shapes the future of the world and the communities within. We need multidisciplinary efforts to ensure that no one is left behind while transitioning to a better and sustainable future.
Attending the world café event led me to realize that the energy transition would happen at a much slower rate without large-scale collaborative effort, and our historical emission constrains the time. We tend to overlook many perspectives working alone, whereas working as a team for sustainable energy transition will take us to a more equitable and decarbonized economy faster. I am thankful for the opportunity to volunteer and observe one such collaboration at UMass Amherst.
Pictures by John Solem and art work by Pasqualina Azzarello.