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POLET (Perspectives on technOLogical change and Energy Transitions) was an inter-university research group active in 2015-2025.

POLET explored energy security, energy transitions, feasibility of climate action and the rate of technology change.

More about us

POLET team in 2024

Research themes

 

Contexts

We analyse how transitions happen in diverse national contexts and in different historical settings.

Read our publications and projects about different contexts.

Technologies

We focus on technologies that make difference for climate mitigation.

Read our publications and projects about fossil fuels, new renewables, and nuclear power.

Concepts

We aim to develop theories of energy transitions that would allow us to analyse the feasibility of climate change.

Our conceptual work covers energy security, theories of energy transitions and feasibility of climate action.

Futures

Tackling climate change requires action which will shape our future.

We analyse scenarios of climate mitigation to identify historical precedents for climate action.

 Projects

Projects
NEW STEPS
NEW STEPS

2021-2027

NEW STEPS aims to compare and analyse technologies and policies that can realistically expand Sweden’s low-carbon electricity supply.

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MISTRA Electric
MISTRA Electric

2021-2026

MISTRA Electric aims to identify feasible pathways to low-carbon electrification of industry, heating and transport in Sweden in order to achieve the national net-zero emissions vision by 2045.

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MANIFEST
MANIFEST

2021-2026

MANIFEST (Mechanisms and Actors of Feasible Energy Transitions) aims to develop a new scientific understanding of the feasibility of climate action by unpacking the mechanisms of decarbonizing the electricity sector worldwide.

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CINTRAN
CINTRAN

2020-2024

CINTRAN (Carbon Intensive Regions in Transition - Unravelling the Challenges of Structural Change) aims to understand the structural change of carbon-intensive regions across Europe. Our team is developing a diagnostic approach to analyze the feasibility of low-carbon transitions in coal-dependent regions.

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ENGAGE
ENGAGE

2019-2023

ENGAGE (Exploring National and Global Actions to reduce Greenhouse gas Emissions) explores the feasibility of pathways that can meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement. It is operated by a global consortium of nearly 30 partners including Central European University, which co-leads the work on defining feasibility of climate mitigation based on empirical evidence.

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Contractions
Contractions

2017-2022

Contractions (Analyzing past and future energy industry contractions: Towards a better understanding of the flip-side of energy transitions) analyses the mechanisms and the historic rates of decline of energy industries and comparing these to the decline rates expected in the future energy transitions.

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All Projects

Publications

Publications
Conceptualising and measuring acceleration of mature policy-driven technologies: the case of onshore wind power in Europe

Marta Vetier, Vadim Vinichenko, Jessica Jewell, Anastasia Pavlenko and Aleh Cherp (pre-print). Conceptualising and measuring acceleration of mature policy-driven technologies: the case of onshore wind power in Europe. POLET Working Paper series 2025-1

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Major step up in carbon capture and storage needed to keep warming below 2 °C

J. Jewell & T. Kazlou. (2024). Major step up in carbon capture and storage needed to keep warming below 2 °C. Nature Climate Change. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02112-0

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Feasible deployment of carbon capture and storage and the requirements of climate targets

T. Kazlou, A. Cherp & J. Jewell. (2024). Feasible deployment of carbon capture and storage and the requirements of climate targets. Nature Climate Change. Open Access. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02104-0

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Technology and policy co-evolution: the case of solar power in India 2010-2024

S. Bhowmik, A. Cherp, V. Vinichenko (pre-print). Technology and policy co-evolution: the case of solar power in India. POLET Working Paper series 2024-4

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Compensating affected parties necessary for rapid coal phase-out but expensive if extended to major emitters

L. Nacke, V. Vinichenko, A. Cherp, A. Jakhmola & J. Jewell. (2024). Compensating affected parties necessary for rapid coal phase-out but expensive if extended to major emitters. Nature Communications. Open Access. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47667-w

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Have climate policies accelerated energy transitions? Historical evolution of electricity mix in the G7 and the EU compared to net-zero targets

M. Suzuki, J. Jewell & A. Cherp. (2023). Have climate policies accelerated energy transitions? Historical evolution of electricity mix in the G7 and the EU compared to net-zero targets. Energy Research & Social Science. Open Access. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.103281

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All Publications

Blog & News

Blog & News
POLET research at Gothenburg Science Festival
POLET research at Gothenburg Science Festival

POLET research at Gothenburg Science Festival

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Collaborative Scenario Planning Workshop at Lund University
Collaborative Scenario Planning Workshop at Lund University

POLET scientists and energy modelers from Chalmers University laid the foundation for four new scenarios of nuclear and wind power development in Sweden during a collaborative workshop.

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Research specialist position at Chalmers University
Research specialist position at Chalmers University

POLET is recruiting a Research specialist in quantitative methods of technology and policy change. Applications should be received by January 31st, 2025.

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POLET at Climate breakfast seminar and roundtable on the future of carbon capture and storage
POLET at Climate breakfast seminar and roundtable on the future of carbon capture and storage

Tsimafei Kazlou shared POLET research on the feasibility of carbon capture and storage technologies to Norwegian policymakers and industry representatives

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POLET Research Workshop and session at MESPOM Alumni Conference 2024 in Budapest
POLET Research Workshop and session at MESPOM Alumni Conference 2024 in Budapest

POLET team organised a workshop to discuss our future research agenda, and presented our research at the MESPOM Alumni Conference 2024 in Budapest, Hungary

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NEW STEPS kickoff meeting and Reference group workshop
NEW STEPS kickoff meeting and Reference group workshop

NEW STEPS hosts its project kickoff meeting and first reference group to begin building anticipatory scenarios of nuclear and wind power development in Sweden.

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MISTRA Electrification Annual Meeting 2024
MISTRA Electrification Annual Meeting 2024

Marta Vetier and Jessica Jewell shared POLET’s research advances with Swedish energy scientists, industrial actors and policy-makers at MISTRA Electrification meeting.

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Masahiro Suzuki defends his PhD and receives two scientific awards
Masahiro Suzuki defends his PhD and receives two scientific awards

Masahiro Suzuki defended his PhD summa cum laude at Central European University and receives two scientific awards for his research.

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