Special Issue on European Energy Transition and Society: Moving Towards Implementation - Invitation to submit contributions

[Davide Natalini]

Dear OpenMod community,

As some of you may know, in October we hosted the European Climate and Energy Modelling Conference (ECEMP), helping shape a dynamic space for policy-relevant climate and energy modelling. 

Following the conference, we are organizing a Focus Collection in the high-impact journal Environmental Research: Energy titled: “European Energy Transition and Society: Moving Towards Implementation”. The special issue is open to publications beyond those related to the conference, so everyone is invited to submit their original contributions. 

This special issue is designed to bring together a broad community of researchers and practitioners working on Europe’s energy and climate transition. If your work touches on technical, economic, or societal aspects of the energy and climate transition, we’d love to see it featured.

Why consider submitting?

• No article publication charges for all articles submitted in 2025 and invited articles in 2026.
• A chance to contribute to a high-impact journal and shape the conversation on Europe’s path to climate neutrality.

Guest Editors:

• Davide Natalini, Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University
• Jakob Rager, HES-SO Valais/Wallis
• Zoi Vrontisi, E3Modelling S.A., part of Ricardo

Next steps:

• Confirm intention to submit by: 23 November 2025 to qualify for free submission in January (by emailing davide....@aru.ac.uk and bethan....@ioppublishing.org)
• Full paper submission deadline: 31 January 2026.

Further details on the scope, key topics, and submission process are provided below. All the information for the Focus Issue and how to submit your contribution are here Focus on European Energy Transition and Society: moving towards Implementation - IOPscience.

We’d be delighted to have your work included in this collection. If you have any questions or want to discuss ideas, feel free to reach out.

Best regards,

Davide (on behalf of the Guest Editorial Team)

_______________________________

Scope of the Focus Issue

Europe’s transition to climate neutrality is entering a critical phase, with binding targets for 2040 and 2050 requiring not only ambitious planning but rapid, coordinated implementation. This special issue is partially connected to the European Climate and Energy Modelling Conference 2025, however it broadens the scope of contributions beyond those submitted to the conference. Indeed, it aims to advance the scientific and policy discourse by showcasing cutting-edge research that integrates technical, economic, and, critically,  societal dimensions of the energy and climate transition. It will focus on modelling innovations and interdisciplinary approaches that provide actionable insights for policymakers, industry, and civil society.

The issue will highlight progress in harmonizing modelling frameworks, improving sectoral detail, and incorporating social sciences and humanities into quantitative analysis. It will also explore emerging methods such as AI-driven modelling and participatory approaches to ensure that pathways are not only cost-effective but socially inclusive and resilient. By addressing distributional impacts, governance challenges, and cross-border coordination, this special issue seeks to inform strategies that accelerate Europe’s transition while safeguarding equity and sustainability.

Key Areas Covered in the Focus Issue

• Pathways and policy measures to achieve 2040 and 2050 climate targets.
• Comparative assessment and harmonization of modelling frameworks and metrics.
• High-resolution modelling of energy and climate systems, including sectoral detail (e.g., grids, hydrogen, mobility).
• Integration of social sciences and humanities into modelling (e.g., behavioural, socio-economic, circular economy aspects).
• Multi-system approaches linking energy, climate, mobility, and other EU policy pillars.
• Distributional, equity, and socio-economic implications of transition pathways.
• AI and data-driven methods for accelerating modelling and knowledge discovery.
• Modelling specific policy packages under the European Green Deal, Fit-for-55, and climate neutrality strategies.
• Cross-border energy coordination and evolving market design.
• Incorporating biodiversity, health, and justice into impact assessment and scenario evaluation.

The ECEMF conference brings together policy makers and modelers and scientists in this realm in Europe and connects to the broader global community on energy and climate modelling. This special issue collects recent advances in the fields highlighted above, including, but not limited to, work presented at the ECEMP 2025 conference. The scope of the special issue is very different from the focus collections partially connected to the previous two ECEMP conferences. In particular, this special issue introduces the AI element in support to the energy transition. This special issue also includes a much stronger focus on the social and systems element of the energy transition, and, importantly, the inclusion of these dynamics in interdisciplinary models.