Lecture evening sheds light on the energy transition as reflected in public opinion

The officer is board chairperson of the Sustainability Advisory Council and the Sustainability Platform of the State of Brandenburg, a member of the German government's Science Platform for Climate Protection steering committee and chairs the scientific board of trustees of the Climate Citizens' Council.

Registrations for the lecture evening
"The energy transition as reflected in public opinion: What citizens expect from energy policy" are not required. Admission is free

Surveys show that three out of four Germans (74.1 per cent) are in favour of the energy transition. The goal is not controversial, but the way to get there is. Over 50 per cent of those surveyed are dissatisfied with the current progress of the energy transition. The majority of those surveyed consider the current transformation process to be chaotic (60.6 per cent), elitist (47.3 per cent) and, above all, unfair (51.2 per cent). Citizens expect politicians to scrutinise transformation measures not only for their effectiveness and efficiency, but also for their distributional effects and social justice. Many people also want to play an active role in shaping their living environment. This requires new participatory methods of political decision-making. Where these are implemented effectively, the willingness of the population to support specific measures for the energy transition also increases.

Moderation:
Prof. Dr. Roh Pin Lee, BTU, Chair of Decarbonisation and Transformation of Industry

Date: Wednesday, 27 November 2024, 17:30 to 19:00
Location: Audimax 1 at the main campus of BTU, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 3, 03046 Cottbus

Prof. Dr Ortwin Renn was Scientific Director at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam from 2016 to 2022 and Professor of Environmental and Technical Sociology at the University of Stuttgart until 2021. Together with Dr Rainer Kuhn and Agnes Lampke, he continues to head the non-profit research institute Dialogik gGmbH for the research and implementation of innovative forms of science communication and participation. Renn studied Economics, Sociology and Social Psychology before completing his doctorate at the University of Cologne. He has worked as a researcher and university lecturer in Germany, the USA and Switzerland. Renn has received many awards, including the Federal Cross of Merit First Class, an honorary doctorate from ETH Zurich and Mid-Sweden University and an honorary professorship from the University of Technology in Munich.
He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the German Academy of Science and Engineering Acatech and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, among others. He is also a member of numerous commissions and policy advisory bodies and is board chairperson of the Sustainability Advisory Council of the State of Brandenburg. Ortwin Renn researches and publishes primarily on the topics of risk, sustainability and citizen participation. Particularly noteworthy is his 2014 book "Das Risikoparadox. Warum wir uns vor dem Falschen fürchten" (Fischer: Frankfurt am Main) and the new book published in 2023: "Gefühlte Wahrheiten: Orientation in times of post-factual uncertainty (Budrich: Opladen).

About the "Open BTU" lecture series :
From 16 October 2024 to 29 January 2025, the public lecture series "Open BTU" will offer insights into exciting scientific fields. In the winter semester, the following topics will be examined from different perspectives:

• 70 years of art in architecture in Germany
• Our Lusatia in transition - a look at the energy and economic turnaround from a historical and future perspective

With this educational format, which is open to all interested parties, the university's Centre for Continuing Education supports lifelong learning and funds the transfer of knowledge and ideas in the region by addressing socially relevant issues. The BTU co-operates with other universities and institutions. Each lecture will be followed by an opportunity for questions and dialogue with the speakers. Anyone interested is cordially invited to take part in the wide range of events on offer.

More about the public lecture series "Open BTU":
https://www.b-tu.de/weiterbildung/offene-hochschule/open-btu