Copy of Local Energy Initiatives and Sustainability Transformations: A Polycentric and Political Ecology Perspective

Are you passionate about sustainability and energy governance, especially within the Global South? If you're an MSc student in PAP, ENP, Governance of Sustainability Transformations, International Development Studies, or a related social science program at WUR and you're eager to contribute to this field through your thesis, we are looking for you!

Background

This study addresses the critical need for a clean energy transition in Indonesia, which remains heavily dependent on coal despite its vulnerability to climate change. The country’s centralized, top-down energy governance, dominated by the State Electricity Company (PLN), impedes renewable energy adoption due to entrenched fossil fuel infrastructure and policies that favor coal. In Indonesia and other Global South contexts, Local Energy Initiatives (LEIs) have emerged as crucial mechanisms for decentralized energy provision, empowering communities through local ownership, and renewable energy generation. However, LEIs also face significant systemic and socio-political challenges, including centralized energy policies, socio-economic inequalities, and power imbalances, which can hinder their sustainability impact and scalability. By applying Polycentric Governance and Political Ecology frameworks, this research seeks to understand how LEIs can contribute to transformative, sustainable energy transitions. Polycentric governance emphasizes decentralized decision-making and collaboration, while political ecology critically examines power dynamics and social justice within environmental governance. A mixed-methods approach is employed, incorporating a literature review, surveys, in-depth interviews, document analysis, and case studies. The findings will provide evidence-based recommendations to enhance the impact of LEIs, while also offering theoretical insights applicable to similar energy transitions in other contexts

Project Description and Promotion for MSc Students

The project will explore the ways in which LEIs interact with polycentric governance structures, address socio-political power dynamics, and contribute to systemic change in energy governance. We are looking for an MSc student passionate about sustainable energy transitions and eager to contribute to this exciting research topic. As an MSc student, you can position your thesis in this context by formulating a relevant and original research question, developing a feasible research approach, and synthesizing your findings into a meaningful thesis.

Requirements

Interested candidates should have:

• A strong interest in sustainability and energy governance.
• Willing to enhance the expertise in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
• Good communication and collaboration skills.
• Motivation to work independently within an international research team.
• (Optional) Ability to speak Indonesian if interested in field research in Indonesia.

You will be supervised by Lumer Satriani Daeli and either Prof. Otto Hospes or Prof. Dave Huitema (PAP). If you are interested in joining our team, please send your motivation statement to lumer.daeli@wur.nl.