On 15 September, Principal Research Scholar Thomas Schinko represented IIASA at a high-level event of the Commission on the De-Fossilization and Carbon Neutrality of the European Energy Systems (DEE) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW). The meeting denoted the kick-off workshop of the newly established DEE Working Group "Transsectoral and Transcontinental Integration”.

The event brought together distinguished representatives from academia, research and Austrian ministries, providing a platform for an in-depth exchange on the future of Europe’s energy system. Discussions addressed issues including energy prices, the competitiveness of energy-intensive industries, system stability and the broader socioeconomic implications of the transition.

A key theme was the importance of looking beyond the generation costs of individual technologies and considering the costs and requirements of the energy system as a whole. These include grid expansion, energy storage, system balancing, reserve capacity and the infrastructure required to integrate increasing shares of variable renewable energy.

The discussions also highlighted the broader economic dimension of the transformation. Replacing existing infrastructure and technologies – from power plants and grids to heating systems, vehicles and industrial processes – requires significant capital and resources. Against this background, participants emphasized the importance of a scientific and fact-based discussion that takes into account costs, opportunities, risks and potential unintended consequences.

Since its establishment in 2024, Dr. Schinko has actively contributed to the work of the DEE Commission as Chair of the DEE Commission’s Working Group “Systemic Analysis of the Socioeconomic, Technological and Environmental Challenges of Transforming the European Energy System and Its Global Interactions” (WG-SYS). This working group has recently successfully completed its objectives and concluded its work.

Against this background, the DEE Steering Committee decided to establish a new working group focusing on cross-sectoral and cross-border cooperation, including partnerships beyond national boundaries. Dr. Schinko has been appointed a member of the new working group to contribute IIASA systems sciences expertise to a high-level dialogue involving experts from science, industry and public institutions on the transformation of the European energy system.

The DEE Commission

Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through the de-fossilization of our energy systems requires the coordinated use of all available technological and society-related approaches and resources, encompassing both supply and demand aspects. This necessitates a broad social consensus-building process to identify specific solutions and implementation measures, all firmly grounded in factual and scientifically supported information.

The DEE's mission is to formulate actionable proposals for the socially equitable, technologically sound, and economically sustainable realization of de-fossilization. These proposals will be grounded in thoroughly vetted knowledge and, when necessary, tested in pilot projects through financial collaboration with partners. These concrete solutions can also serve as blueprints for private investors and policymakers to advance the energy transition.

The DEE operates free from ideological or commercial interests, relying solely on facts and scientific evidence verified by the scientific community. It aims to identify best-practice standards for problem-solving approaches and to establish a scientifically sound reference system.

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