The Energy Transition Under Pressure: Why Social Research Is Especially Important Now
From March 18 to 19, 2026, around 100 researchers from across Germany gathered in Berlin to discuss how social science research can advance the energy transition (Photo: Offenblende/Kerstin Vihman)
More than half of Germany’s electricity now comes from renewable sources, and electric vehicles are becoming increasingly widespread, as are climate-friendly heating systems. Yet in this phase of accelerated energy transition, new hurdles are emerging, and political, economic, and societal challenges threaten to slow the momentum. In their new policy brief, “The Energy Transition Between Acceleration and Backlash: Strengthening Social Research,” why research on issues of social justice and social participation, communication and narratives, and geopolitical dependencies is essential to ensuring the progress of the energy transition in its current phase. The current energy crisis caused by the war in Iran once again underscores the need to become less dependent on energy imports through an accelerated energy transition, according to the researchers.
This week, over 100 researchers from across Germany gathered in Berlin. They are working on projects under the “Energy Transition and Society” funding priority of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and are advancing research in this field. The event was organized by the Fraunhofer ISI and IÖW institutes as part of the accompanying research project “BEWEGT – The Energy Transition Society,” funded by the BMWE. A survey conducted by the project in February 2026 among nearly 200 experts from the research sector and the “Energy Transition and Society” research network highlights the most pressing challenges in the current phase of the energy transition. In addition to the critical task of adapting the power grid to accommodate a high share of renewable energy, these challenges include: disagreements over the shape of future energy policy, ensuring that low-income households can participate in the energy transition, geopolitical tensions and the restructuring of global supply chains, as well as securing long-term financing for climate protection investments.
Growing Resistance: When the Progress of Change Meets Headwinds
The further the energy transition progresses, the more visible it becomes what this change means for established industries, companies, workers, and regions. Sectors under pressure – such as the coal, gas, and automotive industries – and related stakeholders are responding with increased lobbying and shifting the focus of public discourse. At the same time, issues of social justice and the fair participation of all in the benefits of modernizing the energy system are increasingly coming to the fore.
“This resistance and these conflicts can significantly hinder the progress of the energy transition,” says Professor Karoline Rogge, an innovation and transformation researcher at Fraunhofer ISI and the BEWEGT project leader. “Societal research makes crucial contributions to solving the current challenges of the energy transition. For example, it examines how decision-making processes involving all relevant stakeholders can lead to better outcomes on the ground, how communication and positive narratives about the future can build trust in the transition, or how industrial companies can successfully transition their production to be climate-neutral.” Karoline Rogge emphasizes: “Socio-technical research is the key to the success of the energy transition in its current phase of acceleration.”
Policy paper calls for justice as a guiding principle of the energy transition
Issues of fairness are gaining political traction in the current climate. Can low-income households afford heat pumps and electric cars? Who pays for building renovations in rental properties? “If these questions remain unanswered, resistance threatens to weaken the overall ambition level of energy and climate policy,” says Dr. Florian Kern, co-author of the policy brief and head of the “Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy” research group at the IÖW. “Research shows that a just transition requires more than simply compensating the ‘losers’ of the energy transition financially. Rather, it needs sound policy frameworks for social participation,” Kern continues.
According to Fraunhofer ISI and IÖW, the diverse research in the thematic focus area “Energy Transition and Society” highlights various possible courses of action. These include, for example, income-based subsidies for energy-efficient renovations, a fair distribution of costs between landlords and tenants, and economic and democratic participation, for instance through community energy cooperatives. Such approaches strengthen acceptance of the energy transition.
Keeping Geopolitical Realities in Mind: How Global Dynamics Affect the Energy Transition
Dependence on imports of raw materials or components, rising oil prices due to military conflicts, trade disputes, and the rise of Chinese manufacturers in the electric vehicle and solar panel sectors – all these international developments also impact the energy transition in Germany and put established industries and political strategies to the test. The researchers point out that research on behavior and sufficiency can develop solutions to reduce raw material demand and import dependencies through changes in lifestyles and consumption patterns, thereby promoting resilience. And Germany, in collaboration with the European Union, can help realize economies of scale in the ramp-up of green technologies if member states coordinate even more effectively on issues related to the energy transition and the future of industry and create strong European lead markets.
About the BEWEGT Project
Over the course of four years, the BEWEGT project will connect researchers from across Germany, synthesize interdisciplinary scientific findings, and develop recommendations for action. The goal is to enhance the visibility and impact of research on “the energy transition and society” in politics, business, the media, and society at large. Research in this field is presented on the platform www.energiewende-gesellschaft.de. The newsletter “Wer BEWEGT die Energiewende?” informs the research community, media representatives, and interested stakeholders from the fields of practice and politics about news from the projects funded by the BMWE as part of the Energy Research Program under the funding priority “Energy Transition and Society.” The project will run until 2029. It is led by Professor Karoline Rogge from Fraunhofer ISI and Professor Bernd Hirschl from IÖW.
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Further information:
- Policy Brief: The Energy Transition Between Acceleration and Backlash: Strengthening Social Research (in German)
- Website: www.energiewende-gesellschaft.de (in German)
- Expert overview: The minds behind the research projects (in German)
- Newsletter “Wer BEWEGT die Energiewende?”
- BEWEGT on LinkedIn
