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Division of Energy Systems

Our research is based on a broad system perspective, where energy technology, innovation, and policy are linked to sustainable development. Our perspective is global, and we collaborate with many countries and world organizations, some of which are IEA, UNDESA, UNESCAP, FAO, World Bank and SIDA.

Photo showing the staff of the division of energy systems.
Photo: Researchers of the Division of Energy Systems.

Research areas

Energy Access and Development

How can we meet the energy needs of the poorest at a price they can afford? How can we achieve SDG7?

Photo: NASA

Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency

How can we enable sustainability transitions to low and zero carbon societies through a circular economy approach? How can we close loops in the technosphere and the biosphere? What are the potential synergies and trade-offs in practice? What are the appropriate indicators to assess circularity and associated implications for sustainability?

Open Tools for Systems Science

How can scientific tools, data standards and methods be developed in an open and inclusive way? What drives adoption of open-source scientific tools?

Photo: Fatos Bytyqi on Unsplash

Energy Systems and Innovation

What is the role of innovation in unlocking technological change in energy systems? How do innovations at the system level compare to individual technologies? The focus ranges from cities and transportation systems to national and continental energy systems.

Photo: Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

Science-Policy-Society Interactions

How do we build capacity effectively? What is the best way to train government officials in the use of dES tools? How should we communicate findings from complex models? How can we use stakeholder knowledge?

Photo: Fatos Bytyqi on Unsplash

Integrated Climate, Land, Energy and Water Systems

How do we plan and design systems which are better than their constituent parts? How do we take advantage of synergies, navigate trade-offs and avoid path-dependent traps?

Image: Camilo Ramirez Gomez

Meet the division

Vision and mission

Our vision is to create an equitable, sustainable and resilient low-carbon future.

Our mission is to support the development of sustainable societies through robust and transparent energy and resource systems research and training.