REES Brown Bag Workshop | Janina Fuchs – Analyzing students’ opinions on renewable energies and energy transition

Brown Bag by Janina Fuchs Mitacs Globalink Summer Intern, Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich)

The development and adoption of renewable energies can play a key role in decarbonizing the energy sector and in meeting global climate goals. However, the public support for these new technologies significantly affects their implementation. Especially age and education have been shown to be relevant factors in energy-related decision making. University students are a relevant part of the Albertan population making energy-related decisions already now, and/or in the near future, for example in their homes, communities, and working environments. In the special context of a heavily oil-and-gas-influenced province, my research looks at students’ positions towards energy sources, especially renewable energies, and aims to identify which factors drive the support for different energy types. Examined factors include the students’ level of energy literacy, environmental attitude, educational level, type of degree, and political views.