Renewable Landscapes

Impulses for an Energy Transition-Related Transformation in Schleswig-Holstein

Abstract

The article highlights key societal challenges on the way to climate neutrality and analyses how well the higher education landscape in Schleswig-Holstein is positioned in this regard. The focus is on the broad concept of energy transition-related transformation, which enables a comprehensive consideration of processes, conflicts and their social effects. On one hand, significant progress can be seen in the expansion of renewable energies in Schleswig-Holstein; at the same time, conflicts over competition for land, the distribution of burdens and benefits and the use of resources are increasing. These conflicts cannot be resolved by technical and economic considerations alone, but require cross-sectoral solutions. The article identifies four central fields of action: In addition to energy production and consumption, two often neglected but central aspects, soil and sufficiency, are brought into focus. These highlight both the need for sustainable land use and the importance of (collective) behavioural changes and social innovation for the success of the energy transition. The aim of this article is to identify key fields of action for the energy transition in Schleswig-Holstein and to develop proposals for an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research programme. It calls for a stronger societal perspective that focuses on the interaction between social and ecological requirements. The article is intended as an impulse for politics, practice and science to jointly create the conditions for sustainable development paths in Schleswig-Holstein.