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The University of Edinburgh: Energy, Society and Sustainability

Institution The University of Edinburgh View institution profile
Department School of GeoSciences
Web https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying
Study type Taught

Summary

The MSc in Energy, Society and Sustainability equips you with an understanding of how different societies can address the challenge of balancing energy with sustainability. It brings together a social, political, economic, and environmental understanding of low-carbon technologies.

You will explore the risks, costs, and benefits of transitioning to low-carbon energy in a globalised world by asking the following questions:

  • How do we achieve environmental sustainability, energy security and energy justice across different contexts, timescales, places and people?

  • How are societies affected by the energy transition?

  • How do people, policy, and society enable or hinder the energy transition?

Our programme will equip you with a critical awareness of related local, regional and global debates and challenges, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the role of energy in development, facilitating the exploration of the above challenges affecting our world today and in the future.

You will benefit from our access to insightful case studies, as well as the organisations and communities our lecturers work closely with. These range from local Scottish islands to international corporations. The cases demonstrate global best practices and identify paths to sustainable energy management.

Scotland and Edinburgh are prime contexts in which to investigate the interplay between energy and society. Scotland is a world leader in renewable electricity generation. It has a history of hydroelectricity, North Sea oil, and a future in tide and wave energy. However, it also suffers from high levels of energy poverty, a challenge many people face.

Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action to address the significant global challenges of our generation. They address challenges such as:

  • climate change

  • environment

  • water

  • food inequality

  • protecting our planet

  • sustainable growth and energy

  • supplies

With this degree, you can work in fields that directly contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, including the energy transition and climate change mitigation sectors.

Edinburgh Climate Change Institute

The MSc Energy, Society and Sustainability is associated with the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI).

ECCI brings together the following domains to help develop a low-carbon society:

  • law

  • business

  • social science

  • technology

  • policy experts

Through ECCI, you will have the opportunity to work and network alongside professionals and potential employers within this high-demand field.

School of Social and Political Science

This MSc is delivered in collaboration with the School of Social and Political Sciences, giving you access to a wide range of academic expertise across the institution.

MSc

Edinburgh University

Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 34th in the QS World University Rankings 2026.

Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research …

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