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Governing Green Energy Trade: Challenges and Opportunities

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2024) | Viewed by 5924

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Kai Schulze

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Guest Editor

Institute of Political Science, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
Interests: energy, climate, and environmental policy; energy transformation; methods and modeling; policy analysis; comparative politics

Dr. Friedrich Plank

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Guest Editor

Department of Political Science, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
Interests: energy and climate policy; energy transformation; EU energy governance

Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt

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Guest Editor

Institute of Political Science, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
Interests: energy governance; EU energy policy; global governance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current energy crisis has dramatically increased pressures to accelerate the transition of energy systems away from fossil fuels towards renewable sources. The transition has high salience for the fight against climate change and requires the decarbonization of sectors with considerable fossil fuel consumption. Moreover, for many countries, the Russian war against Ukraine has severely limited the option of using natural gas as a bridging technology to compensate for the volatility of renewables in the transition process. In this urgent situation, green energy trade, i.e. the storage, transport, and on-demand release of energy produced from renewable sources, is coming into focus. What are the opportunities and challenges in developing and governing green energy trade? How can emerging technologies and policies address the trilemma of cost-effectiveness, security, and sustainability?

This Special Issue aims to develop a better understanding of the societal, economic, and political features of green energy trade and its underlying technologies such as hydrogen or reactive metals. The studies provide new insights how to deal with the complex interdependencies arising in the context of green energy trade; and they draw on a wide range of different disciplinary and methodological approaches. This includes analyses of socio-economic and political conditions linked to innovation, marketization, as well as environmental and social sustainability in green energy trade.

In this multidisciplinary, multimethod Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Policies and governance of green energy trade and sustainable energy transitions
Innovation economics perspectives on green energy trade
Concepts and criteria for assessing cost effectiveness, security, and sustainability in green energy trade
Geopolitics and political economy of green energy trade
Societal discourses and acceptance of green energy trade
Policies and governance of hydrogen production and trade across global, regional, national, and local levels
Hydrogen economy, public opinion
Multi-criteria analysis and optimization of green energy trade

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Kai Schulze
Dr. Friedrich Plank
Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

green energy trade
energy transition
chemical energy carriers
hydrogen energy
energy policy
multilevel governance

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3112 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating Partners for Renewable Energy Trading: A Multidimensional Framework and Tool

by Kai Schulze, Mile Mišić, Nikola Radojičić and Berkin Serin

Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3632; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093632 - 26 Apr 2024

Viewed by 546

Abstract

The worsening climate crisis has increased the urgency of transitioning energy systems from fossil fuels to renewable sources. However, many industrialized countries are struggling to meet their growing demand for renewable energy (RE) through domestic production alone and, therefore, seek to import additional RE using carriers such as hydrogen, ammonia, or metals. The pressing question for RE importers is therefore how to select trading partners, i.e., RE exporting countries. Recent research has identified a plethora of different selection criteria, reflecting the complexity of energy systems and international cooperation. However, there is little guidance on how to reduce this complexity to more manageable levels as well as a lack of tools for effective partner evaluation. This article aims to fill these gaps. It proposes a new multidimensional framework for evaluating and comparing potential RE trading partners based on four dimensions: economy and technology, environment and development, regulation and governance, and innovation and cooperation. Focusing on Germany as an RE importer, an exploratory factor analysis is used to identify a consolidated set of composite selection criteria across these dimensions. The results suggest that Germany’s neighboring developed countries and current net energy exporters, such as Canada and Australia, are among the most attractive RE trading partners for Germany. A dashboard tool has been developed to provide the framework and composite criteria, including adjustable weights to reflect the varying preferences of decision-makers and stakeholders. The framework and the dashboard can provide helpful guidance and transparency for partner selection processes, facilitating the creation of RE trade networks that are essential for a successful energy transition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Governing Green Energy Trade: Challenges and Opportunities)

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21 pages, 3870 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of the Russian War against Ukraine on the German Hydrogen Discourse

by Martha Loewe, Christine Quittkat, Michèle Knodt and Ingrid Ott

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020773 - 16 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1303

Abstract

This contribution delves into the transformative effects of the Russian–Ukrainian war on the discourse surrounding German hydrogen. Employing structural topical modeling (STM) on a vast dataset of 2192 newspaper articles spanning from 2019 to 2022, it aims to uncover thematic shifts attributed to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The onset of the war in February 2022 triggered a significant pivot in the discourse, shifting it from sustainability and climate-change mitigation to the securing of energy supplies through new partnerships, particularly in response to Russia’s unreliability. Germany started exploring alternative energy trading partners like Canada and Australia, emphasizing green hydrogen development. The study illustrates how external shocks can expedite the uptake of new technologies. The adoption of the “H2 readiness” concept for LNG terminals contributes to the successful implementation of green hydrogen. In summary, the Russian–Ukrainian war profoundly impacted the German hydrogen discourse, shifting the focus from sustainability to energy supply security, underscoring the interconnectedness of energy security and sustainability in Germany’s hydrogen policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Governing Green Energy Trade: Challenges and Opportunities)

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15 pages, 300 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Risky Business? Evaluating Hydrogen Partnerships Established by Germany, The Netherlands, and Belgium

by Marie Dejonghe

Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16876; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416876 - 15 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1136

Abstract

Following the introduction of the EU’s Hydrogen Strategy in 2020 as part of the European Green Deal, some EU member states have deployed a very active hydrogen diplomacy. Germany, The Netherlands, and Belgium have been the most active ones, establishing no less than 40 bilateral hydrogen trade partnerships with 30 potential export countries in the last three years. However, concerns have been voiced about whether such hydrogen trade relationships can be economically feasible, geopolitically wise, environmentally sustainable, and socially just. This article therefore evaluates these partnerships considering three risk dimensions: economic, political, and sustainability (covering both environmental and justice) risks. The analysis reveals that the selection of partner countries entails significant trade-offs. Four groups of partner countries can be identified based on their respective risk profile: “Last Resorts”, “Volatile Ventures”, “Strategic Gambits”, and “Trusted Friends”. Strikingly, less than one-third of the agreements are concluded with countries that fall within the “Trusted Friends” category, which have the lowest overall risk profile. These findings show the need for policy makers to think much more strategically about which partnerships to pursue and to confront tough choices about which risks and trade-offs they are willing to accept. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Governing Green Energy Trade: Challenges and Opportunities)

17 pages, 1415 KiB

Open AccessArticle

External Hydrogen Relations of the European Union: Framing Processes in the Public Discourse Towards and within Partner Countries

by Friedrich Plank, Johannes Muntschick, Arne Niemann and Michèle Knodt

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14757; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014757 - 11 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1102

Abstract

With the need to decarbonize sectors that have hard-to-abate emissions, hydrogen as an energy carrier has increasingly gained attention. Within the European Union (EU) and its member states, hydrogen is assumed to be key for decarbonizing different sectors in the fight against climate change. Hence, state and private actors have engaged in a variety of attempts, strategies, and interests. However, energy security in Europe cannot be managed by European energy supply alone, despite high targets for the expansion of renewable energies. Rather, the EU will have to continue to rely on energy imports from partner countries. Against this backdrop, this paper seeks to provide an analysis of frame promotion processes generated by the EU’s bet on hydrogen. Drawing on a discourse analysis that is based on more than 32,000 media reports generated through the database Nexis, it conceptualizes the media debate as a carrier of frame alignment efforts by actors with a specific focus on the debates concerning external partner countries. It thus focuses on the discourses on the EU’s hydrogen approach in a complex environment with diverging interests of stakeholders from inside and outside the EU, thereby examining debates that still need further empirical research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Governing Green Energy Trade: Challenges and Opportunities)

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Review

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45 pages, 3245 KiB

Open AccessReview

Green Certificates Research: Bibliometric Assessment of Current State and Future Directions

by Stamatios K. Chrysikopoulos, Panos T. Chountalas, Dimitrios A. Georgakellos and Athanasios G. Lagodimos

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1129; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031129 - 29 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1149

Abstract

In recent years, sustainability initiatives and the prominence of renewables have emerged as pivotal priorities in addressing environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic challenges. Within this context, green certificates—representing proof of electricity generation from renewable sources—have gained substantial recognition, enabling organizations to demonstrate their commitment to clean energy. This study employs a bibliometric analysis to chart the evolution and current state of green certificates research. Drawing from the Scopus database, we sourced bibliographic data, resulting in a refined dataset of 940 documents spanning from 2000 to 2022. Through performance analysis, we systematically evaluated the landscape of green certificates research, assessing publication trends, identifying influential works, spotlighting prolific authors, highlighting leading academic institutions, mapping regional research hotspots, and pinpointing the top publishing journals in the domain. Employing science mapping techniques—such as co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and bibliographic coupling—we delineated the collaborative patterns and the conceptual and intellectual structure of the field. This was further augmented by content analysis, revealing four salient research themes, emphasizing the consistent and central focus on support mechanisms and policies for renewable energy sources, sustainable renewable technologies and market dynamics, technological innovations and green certificate trading, and renewable energy sources investment strategies. Building on these findings, the paper concludes by outlining practical implications and prospective research avenues. These encompass a detailed understanding of renewable energy support mechanisms, the pivotal role of electricity disclosure in enhancing transparency, and the transformative potential of emergent technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, in the green certificate trading landscape. The research also emphasizes the fundamental role of guarantees of origin in advancing sustainability goals, the dynamic discourse on green hydrogen certification standards, and the intricate dynamics of trading mechanisms in shaping investment strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Governing Green Energy Trade: Challenges and Opportunities)

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