MVV27468K Energy Transition Diplomacy

Faculty of Law
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
0/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Urban Rusnák, Ph.D. (seminar tutor), Mgr. Martin Švec, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Martin Švec, Ph.D.
Faculty of Law
Contact Person: Mgr. Věra Redrupová, B.A.
Supplier department: Faculty of Law
Timetable of Seminar Groups
MVV27468K/01: Mon 2. 12. 16:00–17:40 S125, 18:00–19:40 S125, Tue 3. 12. 16:00–17:40 S125, 18:00–19:40 S125, Wed 4. 12. 12:00–13:40 S125, 14:00–15:40 S125
Prerequisites (in Czech)
MP215Zk EU and International Law || !FAKULTA(PrF)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 26/25, only registered: 5/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course aims to make students familiar with the complexity of the energy transition - the global energy sector’s shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption, including oil, natural gas and coal to zero-carbon energy sources. It presents students an overview of the organisational and regulatory frameworks affecting the energy transition and explains technological challenges associated with the energy transition. Moreover, the course discusses dilemmas of the main stakeholders, including energy consuming, transiting, and exporting countries, as well as businesses and non-state actors such as NGOs. The course consists of lectures, interactive seminars, and a negotiation game. The goal of the game is to show complexity of the ongoing energy transition, its impact on industries and societies.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
After successful completion of the course, every student will be:
- Familiar with the international instruments and mechanisms related to the climate and energy policies;
- Familiar with the EU framework for the Energy Transition and its instruments applicable within and beyond the EU;
- Aware of different perspectives of the Energy Transition seen from the angle of predominantly energy consuming, transiting, and exporting countries;
- Aware of dilemmas of the main industry stakeholders, role and impact of climate change advocacy and potential and instruments of subnational actors in the energy transition.

Research Skills
After successful completion of the course, every student will be:
- Critically evaluate a range of legal and policy materials related to the energy transition adopted at different level of public and corporate governance;
- Make critical judgment about international energy policy and legal materials and reflection on their impact to the energy security and investment in countries with different place in the energy value chain.

Transferable skills
After successful completion of the course, every student will be able to:
- Demonstrate skills of self-management including an ability to reflect on the content and quality of their own work;
- Assess evolving climate and energy policy and legal framework from the perspectives of energy security, energy affordability and accessibility (UN SDG 7);
- Asses an impact of different stakeholders to development and evolution of complex public policy challenges;
- Understanding of the dynamics of multilateral negotiations, presenting proposals and accepting contra-arguments in a structured and rational manner aiming on compromise and consensus building.
Syllabus
  • 1. Actors of the Energy Transition:
  • Public Institutions - universal and specialised multilateral institutions, intergovernmental regional organisations, regional economic integration organisations, states, subnational entities, cities, and municipalities;
  • Private stakeholders – corporations, industry associations, interest groups and non-profit pressure groups, individuals. Their role and functions, interactions, complementarity, mutual exclusivity, conflicts, and their management.
  • 2. Instruments of the Energy Transition:
  • Legal: International law, treaties and agreements, customary international law, supranational regulation (REIOs), national laws and regulations;
  • Economic: Taxation, innovation, competition;
  • Diplomatic: negotiations, advanced cooperation of ‘like-minded countries’, sanctions;
  • Dispute resolution: bilateral negotiations, mediation, conciliation, arbitration.
  • 3. Industries and Technologies involved:
  • Historical overview of previous energy transitions and their ecological impact.
  • Old industries - Coal, Oil, Gas, Hydro and Nuclear; their role in the energy mix, ways forward to de-carbonisation.
  • New industries – Solar, Wind, Grid Storage, their role in the energy mix, ways forward to scaling-up, Hydrogen, Carbon Capture Storage and Utilisation, New Nuclear (thorium – fusion).
  • Research & Development.
  • 4. Generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity:
  • Traditional grids, smart grids, storage technologies;
  • Electrification and energy transition;
  • Energy Industry cycles;
  • Investment, technological transfer, and international development.
  • 5. Energy Security and Energy Diplomacy:
  • Security of Supply;
  • Security of Demand;
  • Security of Transit/Transportation;
  • Security for the End Consumer (absence of energy poverty);
  • OPEC, IEA, GECF, ECT;
  • Energy security trilemma;
  • Prevention and Early Warning of Conflicts, managing emerging conflicts, resolving energy conflicts;
  • UN Sustainable Development Goal 7
  • 6. Climate Diplomacy:
  • UNFCCC historical background, evolution, milestones - Rio, Kyoto, Paris;
  • Mitigation and adaptation strategies;
  • Role of Advocacy, battle of lobbyists;
  • Public opinion and regulatory impact;
  • G2, G7, G20 formats
  • 7. Energy Transition Diplomacy:
  • Identifying key parameters, actors, and stakeholders;
  • Technological transfer and/or investment;
  • Bilateral and Multilateral diplomatic instruments;
  • Leadership, inclusiveness, and competition;
  • Principle of Common by Differentiated Responsibilities;
  • Role of technological innovation in the energy transition.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • EU: State of the Energy Union report 2022
  • IEA: The Oil and Gas Industry in Energy Transitions World Energy Outlook special report
  • IEA: Global Energy Outlook 2022 - Energy security in energy transitions (pp. 188-233)
  • IEA: World Energy Investment 2022 Overview and key findings
  • Energy Charter Secretariat: International Energy Security: Common Concept for Energy Producing, Consuming and Transit Countries
  • IRENA: World Energy Transitions Outlook 2022 - An Executive Summary and Introduction
Teaching methods
Combination of lectures, interactive seminars, and a negotiation game. The goal of the game is to show complexity of the ongoing energy transition, its impact on industries and societies.
Assessment methods
The colloquium will be awarded upon a written test (min. 60% correct answers).
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
Teacher's information
https://energy.law.muni.cz/content/cs/vyuka-ep/
Mgr. Urban Rusnák, PhD, Dr.H.C. In 2012-2021, he was serving as Secretary-General of the International Energy Charter. Dr Rusnák was focusing his efforts on expanding and modernizing the Organisation. In his earlier career, he served as the Leader of Slovakia's External Energy Security Project (2009-2011), Slovak Ambassador to Ukraine (2005-2009), the Head of the Political Analysis Division (2003-2005), the Deputy Head of the Embassy in Ankara (1994-1998) and the Desk Officer for Central Asia and Caucasus (1993-1994). As the First Executive Director of the International Visegrad Fund, he founded its HQ in Bratislava (2000-2003). Dr Rusnák also worked as the Director of the Slovak Institute for International Studies and Editor-In-Chief of the International Issues journal (1999-2000). His diplomatic career started in 1992 at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Oil and Gas (1990) and received his PhD at the Ankara University (1998). Dr Rusnák also holds a Dr.H.c. of the Kyiv Slavonic University (2009). Currently he is advising the Brussels Diplomatic Academy at Vrije Universiteit Brussels on Energy Transition Diplomacy.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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