Ethics and energy. The role of ethics in energy policy and planning since the 1960s – with a special focus on the Danish energy sector's transition towards sustainability

DFF Forskningsprojekt 2

Abstract:This is a project about ethics in practice. It focuses on the close connection of ethics, policy and planning that has become still more apparent during the latest decades, where questions of sustainability, global justice, individual and corporate social responsibility has been playing a still more significant role. This project presents a novel approach to understanding energy policy and planning by integrating inquiries of history and ethics. The subject is ethical justifications as drivers in the development of energy policy since the 1960's, from fossil fuel-dependency towards sustainability. The starting point is Danish national policy, but the ethics of energy is investigated from the multiple
perspectives of the individual level, the corporate, local and national levels to the European and global levels. The project will deepen our understanding of ethical drivers in energy policy, and contribute in a constructive way to future decision making on transitions towards a sustainable energy system.