Call for Papers: Resources and Geopolitics in the Era of Energy Transition

CALL FOR PAPERS Special Issue (Spring 2026) on Resources and Geopolitics in the Era of Energy Transition Guest Editors: Volkan Ş. EDİGER & İstemi BERK

The world entered a new phase after the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, signed by almost all nations in 2015. These international agreements addressed the challenges of the Anthropocene through the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. This transition, with its key components of further utilizing renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency, is crucial in achieving the targets. Yet, the energy transition will also be challenging, with many significant issues that will profoundly impact our future.

Proposals for a sustainable global energy transition often focus on the consumption of the resources, while their production has so far received little attention. Minimizing fossil fuel consumption is, without a doubt, a pathway to achieving the 2050 net-zero emissions target. However, the problem remains unsolved if fossil fuel production continues as usual. At this point, some crucial questions remain to be answered. How can fossil fuel-producing countries whose prosperity depends on exporting these resources stop production? How does phasing out of fossil fuels affect global energy geopolitics? How will the geopolitics of fossil fuels, which have dominated international politics for many years, be shaped in the new period?

The special issue aims to contribute to closing the research gap on the interplay of resources and geopolitics in the era of energy transition by bringing new perspectives on one of the most critical problems of the century. It welcomes innovative and analytical essays that address topics such as Geopolitical shifts in the era of global energy transition, Redefining energy geopolitics for renewable energy dominance, Geopolitics and the political economy of fossil fuel phase-out, Sociopolitical challenges accompanied by energy transition, Sustainable utilization and production of energy sources, Energy transition and resource conflicts, Energy transition and national security, Role of multilateral and international institutions, Political economy of renewable technologies. Novel contributions to other topics within the resources-geopolitics nexus will also be evaluated. The manuscripts should be between 6000-8000 words and comply with the author guidelines on the journal website (https://uidergisi.com.tr/styleguidelines). Two referees will review all submissions.

Abstracts of approximately 300 words should be sent directly to the guest editor, Dr. İstemi Berk, at [email protected] by 15 December 2024. Authors of selected abstracts will be notified by 15 January 2025.

The deadline for final paper submissions through the journal website will be 30 June 2025. The special issue is scheduled for publication in Fall 2026.

Accepted papers will be published online before the special issue's date.