Rebecca Gowens

Rebecca Gowens

Miss

Personal profile

Personal Statement

My PhD research focuses on how governance and leadership of community and local energy affects the level of engagement with the community and the distribution of outcomes from such projects, with particular focus on social innovation. Social innovation is important within the energy transition and unless social and technological innovation work alongside one another the just transition will have limited success. As we move to a more decentralised energy system, we need to understand how the level of engagement throughout a project with stakeholders such as businesses, communities, households and individuals impacts the delivery and outcomes of these systems. There are different types of governance and leadership within each community and local energy development and these can have varying degrees of influence over the engagement and distribution of outcomes, which results in different enablers and barriers to the resulting social innovation and its sustainability.

Following my undergraduate degree in Biological Science, I completed an MSc Sustainability and Renewables at the University of Dundee. My dissertation was on the re-use of decommissioned offshore infrastructure for renewable projects such as wind turbines, covering the policies of offshore marine environments, the benefits and burdens of potential developments and who would these factors concern.

During my Masters, Professor Raphael Heffron and I became deeply motivated to do further research on the just transition and energy justice, covering the energy justice tenets and the ‘success’ of the financial promises made worldwide.

My PhD brings together three important and interlinked issues; community and local energy, the energy justice tenet and social innovation. The supervisory team includes Dr Jennifer Roberts (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Dr Rebecca Ford (Head of Demand and Flexibility at Regen) and Professor Tracy Morse (Civil and Environmental Engineering).

Research Interests

My research interests are primarily focused on community involvement and a fair distribution of outcomes and inclusion within energy developments. I am curious to understand and explore how community energy developments can have both direct and indirect impacts on the local community and wider society, and the sustainability of the developments in terms of their wider social impacts and innovations.

Industrial Relevance

I have completed research as part of a team in the University of Strathclyde for Foundation Scotland; a charity organisation with over 20 years of experience in community benefit funds governance and administration. This research focused on best practice within the field, in order to develop Foundation Scotland's work. I completed a literature review based on Foundation Scotland, their structure and work they deliver, followed by a set of interviews with Foundation Scotland staff and community organisations who work with them. This provided an insight of what works well and what does not within their organisation and provided recommendations of improvement.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Education/Academic qualification

Master in Science, MSc Sustainability and Renewables, University of Dundee

Oct 2020Sept 2021

Award Date: 1 Nov 2021

Bachelor of Science, BSc (Hons) Biological Science, University of Dundee

Sept 2017Jun 2020

Award Date: 1 Jul 2020

Keywords

  • Community Energy
  • Local Energy
  • Engagement
  • Just Transition
  • Social Innovation
  • Governance
  • Leadership
  • Energy Justice
  • Community Benefit Funds

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