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We interrogate energy as a socio-technical, political and spatial system that interplays with the economy, politics and wellbeing of places and communities in complex ways and at different scales.

Aims

Apart from contributing to academic debates in important ways, our research has a strong policy impact.

It advocates a change in conventional technocratic approaches to the low-carbon and climate agendas to more holistic and nuanced perspectives, with a better understanding of the relationship between energy technologies and their social contexts.

The research engages with the policy making of many key regional, national and international institutions.

Research

Our research encompasses a large variety of themes, including, for example:

  • community engagement in energy projects
  • relationships between energy systems and social justice
  • eco-cities, eco-developments and energy efficient housing
  • the politics of low-carbon urban development
  • decarbonising the transport sector
  • the impact of devolution on the planning and delivery of renewable energy
  • the role of space, scale and state in climate change politics
  • fossil-fuel and nuclear-energy economies
  • regional resilience and innovation studies

These broad interests converge on a shared concern with the role of space and place in energy and climate governance.

Energy systems and energy transitions are not place-neutral but are rather understood as part of the contextualised landscape of institutional and socio-economic evolution. Transition to a low-carbon society adds a further degree of complexity to the energy/space nexus.

We explore the relationships between spatial practices and the material and discursive circulation of energy and investigates the differentiated processes and impacts of energy transitions across cities, regions, social groups and industries.

Meet the team

Lead

Picture of Oleg Golubchikov

Professor Oleg Golubchikov

Professor of Human Geography, Director of Postgraduate Research

Telephone
+44 29208 79310
Email
GolubchikovO@cardiff.ac.uk

Academic staff

Picture of Gillian Bristow

Professor Gillian Bristow

Head of the School of Geography and Planning

Telephone
+44 29208 75388
Email
BristowG1@cardiff.ac.uk
Picture of Richard Cowell

Professor Richard Cowell

Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning, Director of Research and Innovation

Telephone
+44 29208 76684
Email
CowellRJ@cardiff.ac.uk
Picture of Kersty Hobson

Professor Kersty Hobson

Professor in Human Geography, Director of Learning and Teaching

Telephone
+44 29206 88682
Email
HobsonK@cardiff.ac.uk
Picture of Paul Milbourne

Professor Paul Milbourne

Professor of Human Geography

Telephone
+44 29208 75791
Email
MilbourneP@cardiff.ac.uk

Meet the team

Lead

Academic staff

Schools

School of Geography and Planning

We are a multi-disciplinary applied human geography and urban studies school.

Next steps

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Research that matters

Our research makes a difference to people’s lives as we work across disciplines to tackle major challenges facing society, the economy and our environment.

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Postgraduate research

Our research degrees give the opportunity to investigate a specific topic in depth among field-leading researchers.

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Our research impact

Our research case studies highlight some of the areas where we deliver positive research impact.