The Geopolitics of the Energy Transition – A European Perspective
DETAILS
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Geopolitics of the Energy Transition – A European Perspective
Journal: Energy Policy
Publisher: Elsevier
Submission Deadline: 1 September 2026
Introduction
The European Union has a longstanding commitment to the energy transition — whether to combat climate change, improve energy security, or serve as an engine for economic growth. Recent initiatives including the Green Deal, Climate Law, 55 Package, Global Gateway, REPowerEU, Materials Strategy, and Clean Industrial Deal have cemented sustainable energy technologies as a cornerstone of EU energy, industrial, foreign, and security policy.
At the same time, energy transition and global political developments continue to challenge EU energy policy to continuously adapt. Attention has shifted from electricity (solar PV, wind, batteries, electric vehicles) toward molecules (hydrogen and hard-to-abate sectors, CCS, and seasonal storage), critical raw materials and their supply chains, and industrial competitiveness. China has overtaken Europe's strong position in global renewable energy markets over the last fifteen years — and optimism about the energy transition has given way to concerns about deindustrialization, critical raw material dependencies, and the need for technological breakthroughs.
Meanwhile, the world is facing increasing great power competition and the decline of the liberal world order. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has triggered a strategic awakening of the EU and a rethinking of European energy security. The US under Trump has adopted an "America First" transactional foreign policy with a focus on fossil fuel exports rather than climate commitments. China has become perceived as a strategic rival by the EU. Fossil fuel exporters and developing nations are weighing opportunities of cooperation or non-alignment with competing powers.
Scope & Significance
This Special Issue explores the reciprocal relationship between the dynamics of the energy transition, global geopolitics, and EU energy policy — examining:
How energy transition and global political developments mutually influence each other
How this interaction shapes and is shaped by EU energy policy
What strategies the EU might employ to secure its energy needs and foster a smooth domestic and global energy transition
The Special Issue takes a multi- and interdisciplinary approach — combining theoretical perspectives and empirical studies from international relations, political economy, energy security, and geopolitics with those of renewable energy systems, energy markets and policy, and sustainability transitions. Both quantitative and qualitative studies are welcome.
Key Research Questions
Contributions are invited that address questions including:
How does the energy transition affect global political competition and EU energy relations?
How does global political competition affect the energy transition and EU energy policy?
How are developments in the energy transition and global political competition jointly shaping EU energy policy-making?
How do norms, identities, dominant narratives, and power asymmetries in the global energy system affect this interaction?
How can the EU ensure available, affordable, and sustainable energy amidst heightened uncertainty?
How can the EU foster a smooth domestic and global energy transition while securing its energy needs?
List of Topic Areas
Manuscripts are invited on themes including, but not limited to:
EU energy policy and the geopolitics of the energy transition
EU energy relations with key partners — US, China, Russia, Africa, Middle East, and Global South
Critical raw materials — supply chains, dependencies, and geopolitical implications
Green hydrogen — geopolitics, markets, and EU strategy
Renewable energy and industrial competitiveness — EU position in global markets
Energy security and strategic autonomy in the post-Ukraine order
REPowerEU and European energy diversification strategies
Global Gateway and EU energy diplomacy
China as a strategic rival in clean energy markets
Trump's America First policy and implications for EU energy and climate cooperation
Fossil fuel exporters and developing nations navigating the energy transition
Power asymmetries, norms, and narratives in global energy governance
Deindustrialization risks and political support for the energy transition
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and its geopolitical implications
CCS, nuclear, and hard-to-abate sectors in EU decarbonization strategy
Guest Editors
Dr. Daniel Scholten (Executive Guest Editor) Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands Areas of expertise: Geopolitics, renewable energy, EU energy and climate policy, sustainability transitions
Dr. Morena Skalamera Leiden University, Netherlands Areas of expertise: EU Climate and Energy Policy, Foreign Policy Analysis, Geopolitics
Key Deadlines
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 1 September 2026 (Authors may submit at any time before the deadline)
Submission Guidelines
Submit your manuscript via Editorial Manager, the official online submission system for Energy Policy. When submitting, select Article Type:
"VSI: EU Energy Geopolitics"
For any questions about the Special Issue, contact Executive Guest Editor Dr. Daniel Scholten.
All submissions must be original and must not be under review elsewhere at the time of submission.
For author guidelines, visit the official Energy Policy journal page on the Elsevier ScienceDirect website.
About the Journal
Energy Policy, published by Elsevier, is a premier international peer-reviewed journal with a CiteScore of 19.1 and Impact Factor of 9.2. It supports open access publishing and is dedicated to advancing research on energy policy, economics, and governance — providing a leading global platform for interdisciplinary scholarship exploring the political, economic, social, and environmental dimensions of energy systems, transitions, and sustainability across diverse national and international contexts.
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