Is this Russia's Kodak moment? Russian perspectives on the energy transition

The term "Kodak moment" refers to a failure to foresee technological developments and market trends that threaten established business models. The Paris Agreement (now ratified by 170 countries) and the falling cost of solar and wind power threaten to undermine demand for fossil fuels.

This project will examine (1) whether Russian energy actors are aware of the possibility of swift decarbonization of the global energy supply; (2) what consequences they think it would have for demand for Russian fossil fuels exports; and (3) what measures they are implementing in order to hedge against such a development.

The project incorporates a comparative analysis of Russian actors and their peers around the world in order to see Russia in a broader global perspective that is often missing in Russian studies. The research is a collaborative endeavor between economists and political scientists and includes cooperation between researchers working on Russia in Norway, Germany and the UK, as well as Russia itself.

A comparative international survey of students studying energy issues in Russia and other major oil producing countries will be included, drawing on the network of academics in Canada, Colombia, Iraq, Indonesia, Nigeria, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands previously established for the book 'Public Brainpower' (Øverland, Palgrave, 2018).

External publications:

Romanova, Tatiana (2021): 'Russia's political discourse on the EU’s energy transition (2014–2019) and its effect on EU-Russia energy relations', Energy Policy, vol. 154.

'Russia May Be Carbon’s Last Refuge', interview with Indra Øverland in Bloomberg Opinion, 2021.