Opinion: Energy transitions - why countries respond differently to the same problem

Dr Jared Finnegan - Following rising oil and gas prices, Dr Jared Finnegan (UCL Political Science) assesses in The Conversation some key strategies that governments can use to defuse opposition from consumers and producers to transitions to renewable energy. Russia's invasion of Ukraine upended global energy markets. Sanctions on Russian exports and the suspension of gas deliveries to several European countries sent oil and gas prices skywards. The magnitude of the shock is reminiscent of the 1970s oil crisis, where an embargo imposed on the sale of oil by members of the Organisation of Petrol Exporting Countries led to global fuel shortages and elevated prices. Governments sought to reduce their dependence on imported oil by transitioning their energy systems towards domestic resources. Facing the current crisis, countries are also moving away from importing energy while pursuing decarbonisation. In both instances, some have been more successful than others in pursuing energy reform.