Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

Market fundamentalism (or neoliberalism) has proven to be a crisisprone economic model. Within this model, a number of in-built structural imbalances and their interactions have contributed to a downward spiral in economic performance. The end point of this evolution is a multi-crisis in which geopolitics has become an integral macroeconomic variable. Because geopolitics does not function as an antidote but rather as a remedy with predominantly counterproductive effects, the global economy has persistently lost recovery momentum and slipped into deeper crises, while human society simultaneously undergoes geopolitical regression. In such a context, preserving strategic autonomy becomes a particularly demanding task for any national economy. For Serbia, as a small, open, middle-income, landlocked economy on a convergence path toward the EU, this challenge is especially pronounced. These days, strategic autonomy entails a clear vision for accelerating the green transition through a new industrialization based on climate-neutral technologies, primarily in the energy sector and land-use industries. In this paper, we explore key insights into the efforts required to energize the green transition as a roadmap for reversing, or at the very least decelerating, the adverse dynamics of the current economic conjuncture. Serbia serves as the focal point of this analysis, with particular emphasis on the green energy transition as a critical pillar of this complex endeavor. The authors hope that the proposed platform for the green energy transition will be recognized as both feasible and implementable. The zero step in Serbia’s green energy transition is the build-up of a nature-centric mindset capable of fostering a so-called “ecological civilization” in the near future. To achieve this, two coordination mechanisms must be combined: the invisible hand of the market and the visible hand of the state. The paper also addresses two additional issues. First, it examines the specific characteristics of investments in biomass-based energy technologies. Second, it analyzes the policy mix required to stimulate investment in related technologies for renewable energy and land-use industries, carbon capture and utilization, grid optimization, lithium production, and other sectors integral to the green transition (e.g., the EV value chain). Building on the preceding line of reasoning, the paper is organized into five main sections, in addition to the Introduction and Conclusion. Part 1 examines the root causes and key deficiencies of market fundamentalism. Part 2 discusses the necessity of the green transition as a pathway toward ecological civilization. Part 3 elaborates a “to-be” scenario for Serbia, based on a circular growth model and a heterodox economic policy platform. Part 4 assesses Serbia’s economic preparedness for the green energy transition. Finally, Part 5, the paper’s pivotal section, presents a portfolio of green energy projects, providing detailed explanations of biomass-based energy production, which is proposed as the flagship project within Serbia’s broader green energy transition agenda.

An evolutionary biologist invites readers to travel back in time to meet humanity's distant ancestors.

The economic feasibility of low-carbon ammonia production pathways, such as steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage, biomass gasification, and electrolysis, is assessed under various policy frameworks, including subsidies, carbon pricing, and renewable hydrogen regulations. Here, we show that employing a stochastic techno-economic analysis at the plant level and a net present value approach under the US Inflation Reduction Act reveals that carbon capture and biomass pathways demonstrate strong economic potential due to cost-effectiveness and minimal public support needs. Conversely, the electrolytic pathway faces significant economic challenges due to higher costs and lower efficiency. We conclude that efficient decarbonization of ammonia production requires adapting the Haber-Bosch process for variable bioenergy quality, ensuring safe CO2 transport and storage, advancing research to lower costs and improve efficiency in renewable energy and storage technologies, as well as creating a technologically neutral policy framework.

Cyberbullying is a critical societal issue, yet current strategies fall short of effectively combating it. This study takes a psychological approach to cyberbullying mitigation by identifying factors that could predispose an individual to be a cyberbully, cybervictim, or cyberbully-victim. From a survey of 1,004 adolescents (aged 14-15 years) and their caregivers, 736 respondents’ results were analysed to glean the prevalence of each cyberbullying role—based on adolescents’ perceptions of their cyberbullying history—and locate the strongest psychosocial predictive factors for each role—based on parents’ perceptions of their child’s behaviour. Using multinomial logistic regression, four roles (Bully, Victim, Bully-Victim and Neither) were examined in relation to gender, socioeconomic status, and two composite scores from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): externalising problems and internalising problems. As predicted, Bullies were more likely to have high externalising problems ratings; Victims were more likely to have high internalising problems ratings; and Bully-Victims were more likely to have high ratings for both. This study only found Bullies were more likely to be male, whereas other roles were more likely to be female. Socioeconomic status significantly predicted one’s likelihood of becoming a Bully-Victim, suggesting Bully-Victims are the most psychologically, socially at-risk group, despite the lack of attention they receive in bullying and cyberbullying interventions.

Sara G. Brinegar. Power and the Politics of Oil in the Soviet South Caucasus: Periphery Unbound, 1920–29. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2024. xvi, 224 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $82.80, ebook. - Volume 84 Issue 2

This paper explores the current scope and direction of the emerging global governance of hydrogen within the broader context of the energy transition, where technological innovation and institutional change intersect. Hydrogen, as a critical yet complex energy vector, requires coordinated governance efforts to navigate its development effectively. To this end, we critically engage with key challenges facing the hydrogen sector and examine how institutional frameworks are addressing these issues. Departing from the broader scholarship on global energy governance, we conceptually leverage the socio-technical transition and innovation system literature to understand the complexities underpinning the development of the global hydrogen economy. We identify three overarching issue areas pertaining to the nature and role of hydrogen in the global energy system: end-use sector development, infrastructure and trade, and environmental and socio-economic sustainability. Each of these areas presents distinct challenges to hydrogen’s global governance, from stimulating supply and demand to managing geo-economic challenges and establishing comprehensive certification and standards. Through mapping multilateral institutions at the global and regional levels and their main objectives, we offer insights into the emerging institutional architecture related to hydrogen and identify potential gaps in current governance. Our findings suggest that while newer, hydrogen-specific institutions complement the broader agenda of the main established international organizations, the overall global hydrogen structure remains a patchwork of diverse actors and frameworks, each addressing hydrogen-related challenges to varying degrees. Our research contributes to a nuanced understanding of global governance in the hydrogen sector and advances scholarly discussions on how institutional and actor dynamics shape the emergence and development of new technologies.