ESA RN12 ‘Environment and Society’ mid-term and
Energy and Society Network 7th international joint conference
“Societal Responses to Environmental Crises and Energy Transitions”
Conference: 24th – 25th September, 2025
Summer school for Early Career Researchers: 22nd – 23rd September, 2025
Venue: Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
The conference will be organised face-to-face while providing options for virtual attendance of plenary sessions.
A. Mickevičiaus st. 37, LT-44244, Kaunas, Lithuania
Conference website: energyandsocietyconference.ktu.edu
Conference email:
energy-society.conference@ktu.lt
Description and Themes
The conference calls for critical sociological reflection and data driven social science responses within the overlapping broad themes of energy transitions and the climate change emergency, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution crises. Among other important issues, the conference aims to foreground recognition of how energy systems and transitions are linked to, or implicated in, many broader processes of change. These include climate and planetary health, public health and wellbeing, poverty and oppression, biodiversity and environmental change, water, food, finance and economics, and many others. This conference aims not only to discuss current developments, injustices, and imbalances in societal responses, but also to unpack the nature of crises. In particular, it seeks to critically explore the metamorphosis taking place, the possibilities of coping and adaptation (if feasible in times of polycrises), and how societies confront evolving risks and growing insecurity.
The following themes are suggested for the regular conference sessions. We welcome presentations that speak to the broader conference theme, as well as those that address energy and environmental crises as social issues in other ways.
Suggested topics in alphabetical order:
The conference also calls for suggestions for special sessions in more creative, interactive formats, e. g. interactive workshops, roundtable discussions on a focal topic, creative sessions, co-creation sessions, etc.
The conference will offer a summer school for Early Career Researchers, focusing on methodologies for social research in energy and the environment (the call TBC).
Keynote speakers, special sessions and workshops, as well as the social program, will be announced with the conference program.
Submissions:
– Abstracts: 150-200 words, plus authors, affiliations, and email addresses.
– Special session proposals (interactive formats): the proposals should provide a title and a brief abstract with information on the topic, format and contributors (150-200 words, plus names of proponents, affiliations and email addresses).
Each author can present only one paper as a lead author. Abstracts must be submitted in English.
| Submission deadline for abstracts and special session proposals | extended to 3rd of February |
| Notification of acceptance: | 28th of February 2025 |
| Preliminary program announced: | 18th of March 2025 |
| Early bird registration deadline: | 30th of May 2025 |
| Detailed program announced: | 30th of June 2025 |
| Registration deadline: | 25th of August 2025 |
| Updated detailed program announced: | 2nd of September 2025 |
Registration fees:
Early bird registration (by 30th of May 2025):
Late registration (25th of August 2025):
The conference is jointly organised by the European Sociological Association Research Network 12 ‘Environment and Society’ (as a mid-term conference) and by the Energy and Society Network (as its 7th biannual international conference).
Local organizing committee, Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania):
The conference is designed with sustainability in mind:
Click the button below to download the Conference Program
The Faculty is special because of its social mission. We care not only for ourselves but also for sustainable environment – for our country, community, for the world. We participate in public discussions and debates; we present to the society our evidence-based scientific insights which are relevant to issues in public discourse. It is important for us that research conducted and social innovations created in the Faculty would contribute to the well-being of our country and the world, because we care about the future.
Location: A. Mickevičiaus st. 37-1104, LT-44244 Kaunas
Science Island is Lithuania’s first Science and Innovation Promotion Centre. With a permanent exhibition of 140 interactive installations, a state-of-the-art planetarium, STEAM laboratories, and various cultural and educational activities.
The mission of the centre is to spark curiosity and inspire experimentation by connecting genuine science with entertainment, challenging the myth that enjoyment and value are mutually exclusive.
Designed for families, it invites visitors of all ages to explore, make mistakes, and rediscover a love for science through innovative methods. What if we knew more?
Location: Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. 50, LT-44307 Kaunas
Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania, is famous for its rich history, vibrant culture and impressive interwar modernist architecture, which has earned a UNESCO heritage label. It is one of the most important academic and technological centers of the country. Guests of the city should drink coffee in Laisvės alėja, wander through the narrow streets of the old town of Kaunas, visit Kaunas Castle and relax in Santaka Park.
Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) is one of the leading higher education institutions in Lithuania with more than 100 years of history. KTU is famous for its research, innovation and international partnerships.
From Kaunas Airport (KUN). Kaunas airport is approximately 15 km from the city center. Convenient access to the city center is provided by public bus no. 29. It is also possible to use taxi or ride-hailing services such as Bolt and Uber.
From Vilnius Airport (VNO). Vilnius airport is approximately 100 km from Kaunas city center. Several intercity bus companies, such as “Toks” and “Kautra”, provide direct connections between Vilnius Airport and Kaunas. In addition, you can go to Kaunas by train. To reach Vilnius train station, you can use the local train that runs between Vilnius Airport and Vilnius Central Station.
Kaunas is perfectly suited for pedestrians, so you can easily get to know the city by walking. There is also a well-developed public transport system – buses and trolleybuses. For guests of the city, it is most convenient to buy tickets from the driver or in the mobile app Žiogas. The city also offers taxi and ride-hailing services such as Bolt and Uber. In addition, Kaunas offers electric scooter and bicycle rental services that allow you to easily move around the city with environmentally friendly vehicles.
Kaunas offers a wide selection of accommodation services, from luxury hotels to cozy hostels. Recommended hotels near KTU campus and city center:
Hotel Kaunas – a modern 4-star hotel in Laisvės alėja, offering spacious rooms and a great location in the city center.
Radisson Hotel Kaunas – a modern hotel located near the main attractions.
Moxy Kaunas Center – a stylish and youthful hotel.
A. Mickevičiaus st. 37, LT-44244, Kaunas, Lithuania
Conference website: energyandsocietyconference.ktu.edu
Conference email:
energy-society.conference@ktu.lt
Summer School for Early Career Researchers | Methodological Perspectives for Social Research on Energy and Environmental Issues
22-23 September 2025 (in-person)
Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
Co-organized by the ESA RN12 ‘Environment and Society’ and the Energy and Society Network as part of their 7th Joint Conference on “Societal Responses to Environmental Crises and Energy Transitions”, the 2025 Summer School will focus on advanced methodologies and open science practices within the field of environmental studies in the social sciences. This immersive training is organized for a small cohort of less than 20 participants, and its program is tailored for doctoral students and early career researchers seeking to enhance their methodological skills.
The program will feature specialized sessions on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies for interdisciplinary research, led by experts in the field. This includes an intensive workshop on the ISSP-Environment survey data, which will cover advanced quantitative methodologies and emphasize the significance of data re-use. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discuss their own research while participating in the training sessions organized by KTU’s Methods School, with topics spanning research data management, open data principles, and citizen science. We look forward to welcoming you!
The participation fee for the Summer School is 150€ (current and new members of ESA benefit from a reduced fee of 100€), which includes access to all sessions, course materials, social events and coffee breaks. Participants are expected to cover their travel and accommodation expenses. Limited scholarships to cover the participation fee may be available for selected candidates upon request.
Stay tuned and follow the ESA RN12 LinkedIn page for future events!
Organizing Committee:
Audronė Telešienė (KTU, local organizing committee)
Florian Rabitz (KTU, local organizing committee)
Antoine Dolcerocca (University of Bologna)
Aurore Dudka (University of Trento)
Tadeusz Rudek (Jagiellonian University)
Paulina Budrytė (KTU, local organizing committee)
The Local Organizing Team is committed to sustainability and has taken steps to make the conference as sustainable as possible, even if some choices may feel unusual – here is the thinking behind them.
A lifecycle perspective guided planning, with a centrally located venue and nearby social event chosen to ensure easy access on foot or by public transportation.
We also carefully selected all materials and gifts. Printed handouts have been avoided in favor of digital alternatives. Promotional items were minimized, and chosen gifts are minimalistic, locally made and culturally meaningful.
As a token of appreciation, each participant receives a handmade natural beeswax candle from Saldūs Ūsai, a small Lithuanian apiary actively engaged in educational activities and sustainability projects.
Bees are deeply honored in Baltic cosmology, and honey and wax hold a special place in our cultural traditions. By offering this gift, we also share symbolic wishes with you. Bees perform the vital function of pollination, sustaining ecosystems and symbolizing biodiversity. Culturally, they represent diligence, care, community, mutual support, and resilience – the ability to overcome adversities and create thriving hives together. In Lithuanian, the word for friendship – bičiulystė – literally means “partnership in beekeeping”.
Rootedness in place is one of the core principles of sustainability. To honor Lithuanian traditions and culture, we also collaborated with artists from the region, designed social activities that are meaningful yet low in environmental impact, and invited Nemunas, a university based Lithuanian folk ensemble, to share interactive performances with our participants.
To reduce the environmental impact of catering, we offer only vegetarian and vegan meals. In order to avoid single-use items, our catering partners provide reusable or compostable dishware.
As Lithuania is known for its high-quality drinking water, no bottled water will be offered during the conference. Instead, we encourage participants to bring their own refillable bottles, with refill stations conveniently available throughout the venue.
Welcome to the photo gallery of the Energy and Society Conference. You can view and download the highlights from the event. Please note that the download links will be available for 4 weeks only.
We invite you to view the highlights from the first day of the event:
We invite you to view the highlights from the second day of the event:
Stay tuned – more photos on the way!
