Our thesis investigates how local tourism stakeholders frame and actively produce rural places in times of renewable energy transitions. Rural places serve as a stage for both the transition to renewable energy and rural tourism. Wind turbines, in particular, are a source of debate due to their visual impact and noise. Local tourism stakeholders are concerned that the development of renewable energy infrastructure, especially wind turbines, may have a negative impact on their tourism activities and, consequently, their revenue. In our qualitative study, we conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with 21 local tourism stakeholders. The Swedish rural island of Öland served as a case study area for our research. Furthermore, we gathered data by visiting and observing some of the participants’ businesses. Our findings were analyzed through the lens of relational place-making and place framing. Through reconstructing the narratives of local tourism stakeholders, we identified a strong connection to their rural place. Moreover, there was a generally positive attitude towards renewable energy infrastructure development among local tourism stakeholders. They prioritize the environmental benefits of renewable energy infrastructure over aesthetic considerations and thus, do not fear a tourism revenue drop. Furthermore, our findings revealed that the local tourism stakeholders are not primarily focused on renewable energy infrastructure development, but rather on the general sustainable tourism development of the island. The future visions of local tourism stakeholders involve creative ideas about wind turbines in tourist attractions. Taken together, our evidence shows that rural tourism and renewable energy transitions can interact in rural places.

Large-scale deployment of low-carbon energy technologies is important for counteracting anthropogenic climate change and achieving universal energy access. This thesis explores potential growth rates of technologies necessary to reach a more sustainable global energy system, the material and energy flows required to commission these technologies, and potential future availability of the required resources. These issues are investigated in five papers. Potential future growth rates of wind energy and solar photovoltaics, and the associated material requirements are explored, taking the expected service life of these technologies into account. Methodology for assessing net energy return and natural resource use for wind energy systems are analyzed. Potential future availability of lithium and phosphate rock are also investigated. Estimates of energy and materials required for technologies such as wind energy and photovoltaics vary, and depend on the assumptions made and methods used. Still, it is clear that commissioning of low-carbon technologies on the scale required to reach and sustain a low-carbon energy system in coming decades requires significant quantities of both bulk materials and scarcer resources. For some technologies, such as thin film solar cells and electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries, availability of materials could become an issue for potential growth rates. Future phosphate rock production could become highly dependent on few countries, and potential political, social and environmental aspects of this should be investigated in more detail. Material and energy flows should be considered when analyzing growth rates of low-carbon technologies. Their estimated service life can indicate sustainable growth rates of technologies, as well as when materials are available for end-of-life recycling. Resource constrained growth curve models can be used to explore future production of natural resources. A higher disaggregation of these models can enable more detailed analysis of potential constraints. This thesis contributes to the discussion on how to create a more sustainable global energy system, but the methods to assess current and future energy and material flows, and availability of natural resources, should be further developed in the future.

abstract: Energy projects have the potential to provide critical services for human well-being and help eradicate poverty. However, too many projects fail because their approach oversimplifies the problem to energy poverty: viewing it as a narrow problem of access to energy services and technologies. This thesis presents an alternative paradigm for energy project development, grounded in theories of socio-energy systems, recognizing that energy and poverty coexist as a social, economic, and technological problem. First, it shows that social, economic, and energy insecurity creates a complex energy-poverty nexus, undermining equitable, fair, and sustainable energy futures in marginalized communities. Indirect and access-based measures of energy poverty are a mismatch for the complexity of the energy-poverty nexus. The thesis, using the concept of social value of energy, develops a methodology for systematically mapping benefits, burdens and externalities of the energy system, illustrated using empirical investigations in communities in Nepal, India, Brazil, and Philippines. The thesis argues that key determinants of the energy-poverty nexus are the functional and economic capabilities of users, stressors and resulting thresholds of capabilities characterizing the energy and poverty relationship. It proposes ‘energy thriving’ as an alternative standard for evaluating project outcomes, requiring energy systems to not only remedy human well-being deficits but create enabling conditions for discovering higher forms of well-being. Second, a novel, experimental approach to sustainability interventions is developed, to improve the outcomes of energy projects. The thesis presents results from a test bed for community sustainability interventions established in the village of Rio Claro in Brazil, to test innovative project design strategies and develop a primer for co-producing sustainable solutions. The Sustainable Rio Claro 2020 initiative served as a longitudinal experiment in participatory collective action for sustainable futures. Finally, results are discussed from a collaborative project with grassroots practitioners to understand the energy-poverty nexus, map the social value of energy and develop energy thriving solutions. Partnering with local private and non-profit organizations in Uganda, Bolivia, Nepal and Philippines, the project evaluated and refined methods for designing and implementing innovative energy projects using the theoretical ideas developed in the thesis, subsequently developing a practitioner toolkit for the purpose. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Sustainability 2020

Yes / This chapter provides a background on the roles of international arbitration as an important mechanism for dispute resolution in Africa’s dynamic and evolving energy and mining sectors. Given its abundant endowment with renewable and non-renewable energy sources, Africa has for several decades provided significant opportunities for international energy companies to spearhead energy production activities and investments in the production, distribution, and sale of energy. Despite these investment opportunities, entrants into energy markets in Africa often face legal risks that pose monumental threats to the economic viability of investments. If not properly mitigated and addressed, such risks may result in complex and protracted legal disputes. Over the last decade, arbitration has emerged as a key mechanism for dispute resolution in Africa’s growing energy industry. After providing an overview of the history, nature, and scope of energy arbitration in Africa, this chapter examines the drivers and sources of energy disputes in Africa’s energy and mining sectors and how the rise in arbitration provisions in energy contracts is shaping legal responses to such risk drivers. It analyzes how the full value of arbitration can be maximized as a tool for achieving fair, timely, efficient, and effective dispute resolution in Africa’s energy sector, especially in light of ongoing energy transitions.

Global energy transitions and rises in demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) are predicted to reshape global politics in yet uncertain but profound ways. With CRMs being vital for Europe’s decarbonization process, the present study sets out to examine the EU’s geopolitical discourse by taking an inquisitive yet critical stance focusing particularly on the new “geopolitical” Commission’s geopolitical reasoning on CRMs. Building upon critical geopolitics, a discourse analysis was conducted on 9 European Commission communications (2019–2020). Three key observations were made: first, a ‘geopolitical’ and ‘assertive’ EU is crucial in an increasingly ‘fragile’, ‘polarized’ and ‘competitive’ world. Second, securing CRMs is a ‘security question’, requiring ‘strategic approaches and partnerships’, notably with ‘resource–rich regions’ and particularly with Africa. Third, the EU’s narrative is ambiguous. While classical geopolitical assumptions are distinguishable, it remains questionable whether the EU will depart from its familiar path of liberal cooperation, multilateralism and trade when scouting for CRMs, although its role as a “benign ally” can be questioned. Further studies on the EU’s geopolitical reasoning, along with its actual practice in the area of CRMs, are warranted. Likewise, a critical reading of reports and foresight preceding EU policymaking is encouraged, to better comprehend how the EU’s dominating geopolitical discourse on CRMs and subsequent practice is produced in the first place.