News
Our team presents project results concerning political tools and political economy of african energy transitions at national and international conferences.
New podcast: Dr. Simone Claar in discussion with Stefan Würzbach about GLOCALPOWER!
The podcast is part of the exhibition Wissensspeicher – 100 Ideen für die Welt von morgen (in German only).
The opening took place 20th July 2022 at 5 pm in Königsgalerie Kassel, entrance Florentiner Platz, Neue Fahrt 12; Wissensspeicher can be visited until 20th August 2022.
You can listen to this as well as all other Wissensspeicher-contributions at Soundcloud also:
https://soundcloud.com/wissensspeicher/wissensspeicher-6-energiewende
For more information see: https://www.uni-kassel.de/einrichtung/ukt/wissenschaftsdialog/wissensspeicher
In her role as the deputy chairwoman of GEW Hessen Simone Claar published the news-article "Just Transition - Die Gewerkschaften und der Klimawandel" in HLZ 2022 (--> Download).
At the Hybrid-Event Africa Energy Indaba Virtual Conference Dr. Simone Claar will hold a lecture titled "Rural Energification - The Neglegted Millions".
For her engagement especially against racism and for social justice Nomaswazi Mthombeni was granted the DAAD-award from Kassel University, which values outstanding academic performance and social comittment of international students annually.
Follow this link to get to the campus announcement (in german): https://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/aktuelles/meldung/2021/12/14/engagement-fuer-soziale-gerechtigkeit-doktorandin-erhaelt-daad-preis
Dr. Simone Claar held the Opening Session "Glocalpower: Funds, tools, and networks for an African energy transition" at DAAD TU Berlin Alumni Seminar, taking place October, 25th - 29th 2021 as a Virtual Conference.
Prof. Franziska Müller and Manuel Neumann held a key note presentation on Good Policy examples contributing to just transition endeavors on the African continent at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).
September 30, 2020 Prof. Franziska Müller, Dr. Simone Claar, Manuel Neumann and Carsten Elsner published the policy directive "Building Africa’s renewable energy future: Recommendations for a just transition" at South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).
On September 3rd, 2020 Prof. Franziska Müller held a lecture in context of the 'West African Clean Energy and Environment Trade Fair & Conference' via Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Lagos, Nigeria about the project studies, titled: "West Africa's Renewable Energy Future: Recommendations for a Just Transition".
The session was moderated by Manuel Neumann.
Press release of Kassel University: "Wie fair ist die Energiewende in Afrika?" (german only) from 07.07.2020.
In the framework of the International Training Center-Webinar 'Manging a Just Transition to Environmental Sustainable Economies and Societies' of ILO (International Labor Organization)Dr. Simone Claar and Manuel Neumann held an input on "Green transition endeavors - research insights from Zambia, Ghana, and South Africa" on June 1st 2020.
In ELSEVIERs Journal Energy Research & Social ScienceFranziska Müller, Simone Claar, Manuel Neumann and Carsten Elsner published the article "Is green a Pan-African colour? Mapping African renewable energy policies and transitions in 34 countries".
The Article reverts to the AFRO_ENERGYPOL Database of African Renewable Energy Policies.
On Wednesday, 20th November 2019, Professor Prem Jain and Dr. Suman Jain, both from the University of Zambia, will hold talks on climate change and renewable energy in Zambia. These talks will introduce you to the unprecedented consequences of climate change in Zambia. Changing weather conditions disrupt food production, damage infrastructures and threaten electricity supply. In this regard, Prof. Prem Jain will introduce you to the current situation of the emerging solar energy sector. Furthermore Dr. Suman Jain will talk about regional climate model simulation with regard to the agricultural sector in Zambia.
On 7th November 2019 Tobias Kalt holds a lecture titled "Struggling for a Carbon Free Future: Lessons from the Climate Justice Movement in Germany" at Witwatersrand-University (WITS) in Johannesburg. The talk focuses on the movement's works, successes and challenges.
Tobias Kalt organized two workshops at the Fridays for Future Summer Congress in Dortmund on the 1st and 2nd of August jointly with Nilda Inkermann. The workshop was titled: "From living at the expense of others to the good life for all". The climate crisis is connected to other crisis phenomena in society. Therefore, we explored how the ecological question can be thought of in relation to other social questions and what a socio-ecological transformation might look like.
Franziska Müller opened the conference of state policy networks with a keynote „Zukunft der Einen Welt: Globale Trends – Themen – Transformationen“.
At the 2nd International Conference on Energy Research and Social Science (ERSS) from May 28th -31st 2019 at Arizona State University in Tempe, USA, Manuel Neumann will hold a lecture on "Room for manoeuvre or for money? How green financialization and derisking shape Zambia's renewable energy transition".
During a workshop in Dresden on May 14th, 2019 Simone Claar held a lecture on "Weltwirtschaft in Zeiten von globalen Krisen, Klimawandel und Ungleichheit".
Franziska Müller attended the symposium "Finance Capital & the Ghosts of Empire: Revisiting Colonial Debts, Extractive Nostalgias & Imperial Insolvencies" at the University of Sussex. She presented recent work on green derisking instruments and their effects as political technologies."
On April 4th, 2019 Manuel Neumann lectures about 'Renewable Energy Transitions in Africa' at Witwatersrand University (Wits). This public lecture sheds light on how African states approach their respective renewable energy transitions.
At the University of Manchester (UK) Dr. Simone Claar gives a talk on South African class relations and international trade on March 27th, 2019.
From 21. to 23. March 2019 the conference of the Research Section "Comparative Politics" of the German Political Science Association: Governance of Big Transformations takes place atHochschule für Politik München (HfP) ofTechnische Universität München. Franziska Müller presents "Is Green a Pan-African Colour? Analysing African Renewable Energy Transitions" and reports on "Auctioning a ‘Just Energy Transition’? South Africa’s Renewable Energy Procurement Programme and its Implications for Transition Strategies".
At the African Economies Centre (RUC) in Rskilde, Denmark Dr. Simone Claar gives a talk on Class dynamics in South African trade negotiations with the EU on October 30th, 2018.
On Tuesday, 23.10.18 Franziska Müller opens the lectures series "Beyond Development" at Leuphana University with a speech on postcolonial perspectives for a development cooperation beyond eurocentrism.
Dr. Simone Claar has again been elected into the speakers team of Arbeitskreis Internationale Politische Ökonomie der DVPW for the next three years on September 26th 2018.
From 25th to 28th of September, the 27. GPSA-Congress (German Political Science Association DVPW) takes place at Goethe-University in Frankfurt/Main. Main topic is "Frontiers of Democracy". We are there with the panel "Energie! Ökonomische und demokratische Herausforderungen!" ("Energy! Economic and democratic Challenges!"), which the project team organised in cooperation with assistant professor Antonia Graf from the University of Münster.
Carsten Elsner stood for the project team at the conference of European Consortium for Political Research in Hamburg and presented the first joint Working Paper: "Is Green a Pan-African Color? Analyzing African Renewable Energy Transitions."
Second Biennial Conference of the Political Ecology Network (POLLEN18: Political Ecology, the Green Economy, and Alternative Sustainabilities): from 19.-22. June 2018 the second international Conference of the Political Ecology Network POLLEN takes place. The project team organizes the panel "Green is a pan-African color: Analyzing energy transitions in the African context" and presents recent research results: a mapping of African energy transition policies and transition paths. Manuel Neumann presents an analysis on the role of cities as actors of an energy transition. Carsten Elsner discusses Ethiopias transition path as an example of a clearly state centered way to energy safety and renewable energies. Simone Claar presents her ideas on bridging the theoretical debates of Green and African capitalisms. Franziska Müller analyses the glocal governance of Norwegian REDD++-fonds NICFI using the example of education measures for subaltern protagonists.
During the seminar Initiative Südliches Afrika (INISA) e.V. from 01.-03. June 2018 Dr. Franziska Müller gave a lecture on energy transition in South Africa titled "Energiewende und grüne Ökonomie".
On 24.5.2018 at a Breakfast Talk of International Center for Development and Decent Work the Project Team presented its youngest research results: a mapping of African energy transition policies shows which transition paths have been taken, and which opportunities and challenges arose. A precise inview into South African transition processes gives a study by Simone Claar and Franziska Müller that analyses how the instrument "Renewable Energy Independant Power Producers Procurement Program" structures the transition along capital flows, transnational stakeholder networks and land tenures.
At Critical Political Economy Research Network in Lissabon (1.-2. June 2018) Dr. Simone Claar presented a paper: "Let’s talk: Green Capitalism(s) meet African Capitalism(s)". She introduced her first inroads in investigating green capitalism and capitalism in Africa in the setting of a green development path from a historical materialist and critical international political economy perspective.
Radio interview on european Africa policy (in german).
The radio show was broadcast the 22nd of March, 2018 on radio 98eins and can be heard or downloaded here.