Climate change is one of the biggest societal challenges of our times. Therefore, a growing number of countries around the world have pledged to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century to limit global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. Accelerating the transition to renewable energy is a key area of climate action. Given the decentralized nature of renewable energy, achieving national climate targets critically depends on the implementation of low-carbon projects at the regional level. 
Against this background, this research project takes a regional approach to analyzing energy and climate governance in Switzerland and Ukraine. The project aims at assessing the progress made by different regions in both countries towards implementing the energy transition and reaching climate targets. The particular focus is on whether and how decentralized energy and climate governance – in terms of strengthening regional and local institutions, as well as direct forms of citizen participation – leads to more effective decarbonization. 
The project answers the following research questions:

1. How do different regions perform with regard to reaching climate targets and implementing the energy transition?

2. What is the role of decentralization of energy and climate governance in explaining regional differences in achieving targets?

3. What are citizen preferences concerning decentralized energy and climate governance? Is there any heterogeneity in citizen preferences between and within both countries?

To address these research questions, different research methods will be combined: in addition to collecting regional data on policy instruments and emissions and creating a Local Energy Transition Progress Index, a survey with a choice experiment will be conducted with 2,000 Ukrainians and Swiss. The focus of this survey is the population’s preferences for participatory approaches in energy and climate policy. 
The research project should provide important insights for energy system transformation at the regional level. The focus here is on the role of decentralisation and citizen participation. The results should help to better understand the preferences and needs of key stakeholders. Political decision-makers in Switzerland and Ukraine in particular could benefit from the findings to improve their climate and energy policies. The research results can provide insights for policymakers at the national level, such as the Swiss Federal Office of Energy or the Ukrainian parliament, and the regional level, such as the canton of St.Gallen or Ukrainian oblasts (districts). The aim is to close the gap between national climate targets and actual progress in the regions.
The results are also relevant in view of Switzerland and Europe’s efforts to support post-war Ukraine in its reconstruction – with a view to achieving climate targets and avoiding the mistakes of the past that led to a heavy dependence on energy imports from a small number of suppliers. 

Contacts: Prof. Dr. Nadiya Kostyuchenko – Prof. Dr. Rolf Wüstenhagen