PhD Studentship: How does an ageing population impact the Energy transition?

Project summary: This project will investigate the relationship between population ageing and the energy transition. It aims to quantify the impact of ageing on energy uses and emissions at the macro level by using a large-scale computational model. The project will be undertaken in collaboration with Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid.

Duration: 36 months

Funding: Funded

Funding towards:

Home fee

Stipend -UKRI stipend rate for UK students.

Funding details: Fully-funded scholarship for 3 years covers all university tuition fees (at UK level) and an annual tax-free stipend. International students are also eligible to apply, but they will need to find other funding sources to cover the difference between the home and international tuition fees. Exceptional international candidates may be provided funding for this difference. 

Number of places: 1

Number of places extra: There will be a shortlisting and interview process. The interview will involve a practical task.

RCUK eligibility: No

Eligibility: For full eligibility criteria, please see : How does an ageing population impact the Energy transition?

Study modes eligibility: Full-time

Fee Status: What fee status applies to applicants? Please omit any of the below that do not apply:

Project Details:

This project will investigate the relationship between population ageing and the energy transition. It aims to quantify the impact of ageing on energy uses and emissions at the macro level.

The aim of this project is to investigate the impact that an ageing population has on energy demand and associated emissions as we transition towards a low-emission society by looking at both the consumption composition channel and the macroeconomic channel. The first objective is to develop an economic model that can capture macroeconomic effects (employment participation) of an ageing population on energy use and emissions though labour participation and demand composition. An important improvement from previous literature is that the model developed in this project will explicitly consider the life cycle of economic agents using a so-called overlapping generation structure. The second objective is to apply such model to quantify the direction and the extent of changes in energy use associated with ageing. The third objective is to assess the impact of policies aimed at mitigating energy use and emissions in the context of an ageing population using the newly developed model.

The developed economic framework will be applied to quantify the economic and environmental impact of policies that reduce energy use or mitigate climate change such as investment in energy efficiency and carbon pricing. Similarly, it can be used to assess the environmental implications of policies that alter the population structure or labour participation, such as pension reforms, migration, and fertility policies. As such, the outcomes can inform important policy decisions for governments around the world and thus guide policymakers in better designing energy transition policies under an ageing society.

Primary Supervisor: Dr Gioele Figus, University of Strathclyde

Additional Supervisor/s:

Dr Paul Telemo, University of Strathclyde

Dr Patrizio Lecca, Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid

Further information: This project will be conducted in collaboration with Dr Patrizio Lecca, Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid.

Contact Details:  [email protected]