Social acceptability of decarbonization solutions in Europe: implications for foresight modeling and long-term energy planning

Social factors are largely overlooked in our energy foresight models, which can lead to a fragile vision of the transition. This thesis seeks to address this gap by developing an innovative methodology to integrate the social acceptability of decarbonization solutions into prospective modeling and scenario building. The aim is to better inform public decision-makers in designing policies that are more inclusive and less risky to implement. After a thorough literature review to identify the various terminologies associated with the social acceptability of decarbonization solutions and the factors that influence it at different spatial and temporal scales, interviews and surveys will be conducted with experts, social groups, and community stakeholders. This will ensure that the perspectives of different actors are taken into account and will help develop a multidisciplinary approach (mainly sociology, engineering, and economics). This preliminary and necessary step will make it possible to explore alternatives for integrating social acceptability and social factors into prospective models and to elaborate scenarios that best reflect the diversity of perspectives. The work will be applied to IFPEN’s new prospective model "Kinesys (TIMES family)" and to CMA’s TIAM-FR. The resulting policies and recommendations will be tailored to the context of social acceptability in the European region.

Keywords: TIMES prospective modeling, social acceptability, social factors, public policies

• Academic supervisor    Dr, HDR, SELOSSE Sandrine, Center for Applied Mathematics (CMA), Mines Paris – PSL, Campus Pierre Laffitte, Sophia Antipolis. sandrine.selosse@minesparis.psl.eu, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1516-6129
• Doctoral School    Doctoral School of Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies (EDSTIC), Nice Sophia Antipolis. PhD thesis in Control, Optimization, and Foresight at Université Paris Sciences et Lettres.
• IFPEN supervisor    Dr, ANDRADE Carlos, Économiste-Prospectiviste, Département Économie et Evaluation Environnementale chez IFPEN, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3707-8026 
• PhD location    First year and a half at IFP Energies Nouvelles, Rueil-Malmaison, France – remainder of the PhD at CMA, Sophia Antipolis, France.
• Duration and start date    3 years, starting in the fourth quarter 2025 (Novembre 3)
• Employer    IFP Énergies nouvelles, Rueil-Malmaison, France
• Funding    CarMa Chair
• Academic requirements    Engineer (Master’s level) with experience in energy system modeling. Additional knowledge in sociology (courses, projects, etc.) is a plus.
• Language requirements    French and English, upper-intermediate (B2) level required.
• Other requirements    Familiarity with TIMES modeling would be an advantage.

To apply, please send your cover letter and CV to the IFPEN supervisor indicated here below.