Drawing on our collective experiences conducting empirical research on the energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy in select democracies in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, we propose a rich empirical approach that focuses on in-depth qualitative analysis to create a Comparative Energy Justice research agenda. The energy transition makes room for a more as well as less just system to emerge. Focusing on the energy transition rather than the broader category of energy allows us to center this interaction and provide insights for those advocating for greater energy justice. Each section summarizes findings and concludes with suggestions for comparative research. We first discuss political institutional structures related to energy policy that have been under-explored in energy justice research, notably federalism, public utility commissions, and Indigenous Nations governance. Next, we elaborate five categories of under-researched actors in the energy transition: the European Union’s Local Action Groups, social justice organizations, businesses and political conservatives, faith-based organizations, and workers in the energy transition. Research should explore how these actors have interacted and will interact in the future with older coalition members who might have different experiences and world views. Moving beyond extant research that focuses on concepts and theoretical framing, our research agenda seeks to understand what is happening on the ground, for key constituencies including workers, advocates, policymakers, and citizens. We are ultimately concerned with understanding how groups and individuals experience and advocate for justice in the energy transition as well as the potential pitfalls of broadening pro-renewable energy coalitions that might split over justice issues. Our focus on under-explored institutions and actors in the overlapping space of the energy transition, energy justice, and comparative research is a novel approach.

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At the beginning of the month, I attended the  (IST 2026) in Zurich. As I embark upon my Master鈥檚 in Public Policy 鈥� Sustainable Energy and the Environment, spending a week engaging with researchers and practitioners working on climate and energy transitions was an invaluable experience.

IST 2026 brought together researchers, practitioners, and graduate students from around the world to explore how societies can navigate the challenges of sustainability transitions. With this year鈥檚 theme, 鈥淗ope in Challenging Times,鈥� the conference created space to examine the barriers facing transitions and think critically about the opportunities for creating more equitable futures.

One of the things I found most valuable about IST was the breadth of research represented. Sessions brought together perspectives from across the natural and applied sciences, as well as the social sciences, offering a broader picture of what it takes to transform socio-technical systems. I had the opportunity to learn about emerging technologies and innovations while also engaging with research on the political, institutional, social, and economic conditions that shape how those technologies are adopted. Being exposed to research across different sectors, countries, and transition contexts pushed me to think beyond my own area of focus.

A major highlight of the conference was presenting my research paper, 鈥淏locking the Current: Political Contests Surrounding Electrification in Canada,鈥� which I co-authored with Professor Daniel Rosenbloom. Presenting our work to an international audience with such diverse academic backgrounds was an exciting opportunity to receive new perspectives, challenge some of my thinking, and come away with ideas to shape the research moving forward.

Just as meaningful as the research itself was the opportunity to be part of the IST community. Throughout the week, I had the chance to reconnect with international colleagues, meet researchers whose work I have been following, and build new friendships with graduate students from around the world.

As an incoming Master鈥檚 student, IST 2026 was a reminder of how much there is to learn from those working across disciplines, sectors, and parts of the world. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who made the conference such a welcoming and intellectually stimulating experience. I鈥檓 excited to carry this new knowledge with me as I begin the next chapter of my academic journey.

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Sustainability transitions research has expanded well beyond its original empirical settings, yet questions remain about how transition perspectives can be meaningfully translated across political economies with distinctive configurations of institutional, geographic, environmental, and historical characteristics. In Canada, these questions are especially salient, as political-economic particularities both complicate the application of transition frameworks and create opportunities for theoretical and practical advance. In response, this perspective develops a Canadian agenda for sustainability transition research grounded in an iterative co-development process involving scholars and practitioners from across the country. Through this process, we identify four interrelated themes based on the above particularities that structure this agenda: federalism, regional cleavages, geography, and environment; resource- and energy-intensive political economies; Indigenous sovereignty and reconciliation; and relations with and proximity to a global power. These themes not only capture central features shaping transition dynamics in Canada but also offer opportunities to advance broader debates in the field. For each theme, the paper illustrates how engagement with Canadian particularities can help illuminate extant research debates and areas of fruitful exchange, from the role of Indigenous leadership to geopolitical and economic dependencies. The perspective also identifies how these themes come together as a configuration, raising promising directions for the study of transitions. In this fashion, the central contribution of the perspective lies not in proposing a transition theory tied to national exceptionalism, but rather in showing how sustained engagement with Canadian particularities (and their interrelations) can generate opportunities for mutual enrichment through the translation and extension of transition ideas.

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The study brings together business history and socio-technical transitions research to examine how technological, political, economic, and social dynamics interacted over more than a century of change, tracing a full regime lifecycle from ascendancy to decline.

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As Canada looks to reshape its economic future, it should aim to build systems of innovation that catalyze economic diversification. In this report for the Centre for Industrial Policy, Brendan Haley makes the case that Canada has put too much focus on resource megaprojects, arguing for a different path forward.

Rather than seeing infrastructure as the end goal, Canada needs to support diverse, multi-sector economies through technology development, inter-sectoral linkages, and Canadian-owned companies over the long term. Countries like Japan (MITI), Germany (Fraunhofer), and the U.S. (DARPA) have long-standing institutions to guide innovation. Canada needs to learn from that approach by building institutions that lead with innovation first and encourage economic diversification.

Instead, Canada has historically found itself caught in the 鈥渟taple trap,鈥� where crises push governments toward resource megaprojects instead of economic diversification. Those megaprojects end up creating dependency, not sovereignty.

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For it to succeed, consultations must move beyond the strategy鈥檚 broad ambitions and tackle the critical issues that could make or break it.

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On Friday, May 22, 2026, the 杏吧原创 Sustainable Energy Research Centre (CSERC) hosted an expert roundtable and seminar discussion featuring at the . The event brought together scholars, students, and policy experts to examine emerging challenges and opportunities shaping global energy transitions. 

The morning roundtable convened representatives from a range of interdisciplinary initiatives, including , the , , the , and the Transition Accelerator. Participants discussed the technological, economic, and governance dimensions of sustainable energy transitions, with a particular emphasis on industrial decarbonization, electricity systems transformation, and policy coordination across sectors. 

Dr. G眉l鈥檚 seminar discussion focused on findings from the , highlighting the rapid expansion of global clean energy technology markets and the growing importance of manufacturing capacity and supply chain resilience. The presentation examined trade-offs surrounding the concentration of clean energy technology supply chains in China, which has accelerated the diffusion of critical clean technologies but also raised mounting geopolitical concerns over market dominance. Discussions explored the economic security implications of supply chain concentration, the place Canada might occupy in unfolding transitions, as well as the importance of strategic international partnerships and supply chain diversification. 

Across both sessions, participants emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary research  and collaboration in supporting efforts to realize sustainable energy systems. As CSERC Co-Chair, Professor Ahmed Abdulla stressed that 鈥渁ddressing the complexity of energy transitions requires sustained exchange across disciplines, where insights from engineering, policy, and the social sciences can be brought together to envision and help put in motion effective transition pathways鈥�. Professor Daniel Rosenbloom, Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions and fellow CSERC Co-chair, added that 鈥淐SERC exists to convene researchers, policymakers, and practitioners across domains, creating a shared space to advance knowledge and translate it into actionable insights to accelerate the energy transition鈥�. 

Left to right: Jason Gadoury, , Daniel Rosenbloom, James Meadowcroft, Ahmed Abdulla, Chelsea Pope

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杏吧原创 University鈥檚 engineering researcher Ahmed Abdulla has been named Canada鈥檚 2026 National Champion by the for his research on direct air capture, a technology that removes carbon dioxide (CO鈧�) from the air to address climate change.

Abdulla, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is one of just 25 National Champions selected worldwide. The prestigious prize recognizes research focused on keeping humanity within the planet鈥檚 鈥渟afe operating space.鈥澛�

Three International Champions will be named in January 2027 in Davos, Switzerland, and awarded $1 million USD each to scale their research.

Advancing Deep Decarbonization

Abdulla鈥檚 work focuses on designing future energy systems that are reliable, affordable, and deeply decarbonized. At 杏吧原创, he co-leads APEX (Alternative Pathways for the Energy Transition), an initiative that tackles and solves the deployment challenges of low-carbon energy technologies to support global climate goals. The initiative focuses on reducing risk and uncertainty, eliminating deployment bottlenecks, and improving policy design to advance clean energy solutions.

His award-winning research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examines how environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, air pressure and carbon dioxide concentration influence the performance of direct air capture systems. The findings show that performance can vary significantly by location, with implications for energy demand, water use and overall net carbon removal. 

Abdulla said the work highlights the importance of grounding climate modelling in real-world conditions.

鈥淣ations are not decarbonizing fast enough to stabilize climate. Our in-depth, global analyses of the performance of a main capture technology paint a picture of carbon removal鈥檚 role in our future,鈥� said Abdulla. 

The research also informs From Science to Policy: Planetary Solutions in Action, a global policy report developed with the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The report explores how scientific evidence can better inform climate policy and international cooperation.

杏吧原创 the Frontiers Planet Prize

The Frontiers Planet Prize is the world鈥檚 largest science competition on planetary health, involving more than 700 universities and research institutions worldwide. National Champions are selected through an independent review by international experts.

As Canada鈥檚 National Champion, Abdulla will represent 杏吧原创 internationally, contributing to discussions that connect scientific research with policy and real鈥憌orld application. 

The recognition comes as countries increasingly look to carbon removal technologies as part of broader net-zero strategies, though researchers note that real-world performance varies significantly depending on local environmental conditions and energy system constraints. Abdulla鈥檚 work contributes to ongoing efforts to ensure 

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The 杏吧原创 Sustainable Energy Research Centre is pleased to highlight a recent CTV feature with聽Alexandra Mallett, whose expertise continues to shape public conversations on Canada鈥檚 evolving energy landscape.

In this interview, Professor Mallett offers timely insights into the challenges and opportunities facing Canada鈥檚 energy systems, with particular attention to grid resilience, infrastructure modernization, and the broader transition toward sustainable and secure energy futures. Her commentary underscores the importance of forward-looking policy, innovation, and coordinated action in strengthening Canada鈥檚 energy systems in the face of growing environmental and technological pressures. These themes align closely with CSERC鈥檚 mission to advance interdisciplinary research, teaching, and action that accelerate sustainable energy transitions. 

We are proud to see Professor Mallett鈥檚 research and expertise featured in national media and contributing to important public dialogue on the future of sustainable energy in Canada.

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杏吧原创 sustainable energy students showcased their expertise at the Ontario Energy Board鈥檚 inaugural Energython case competition held in Toronto on January 30, 2026. Representing 杏吧原创 as Team Meter Made Better, graduate students Sean Thomas, Maia Warren, Melizza Clayden Tabobondung, and Vedika Chandran were shortlisted from 15 initial teams to compete as one of only four provincial finalists.

The team delivered well鈥憆easoned recommendations on balancing new energy sources within Ontario鈥檚 regulatory frameworks, drawing on insights from their coursework and analyses developed throughout the 10-day competition.

鈥淭hey presented a multi鈥慶riteria analysis that brought together energy transition considerations and equity impacts鈥� said Professor Daniel Rosenbloom. 鈥淲hile they didn鈥檛 bring home the top prize, I鈥檓 genuinely proud of what they accomplished here鈥�.

杏吧原创鈥檚 strong performance underscores the calibre of our emerging leaders in energy transitions.

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