Research Institute for Sustainability Helmholtz Centre Potsdam

Franziska Mey

Dr. Franziska Mey

Research Group Leader

E-Mail

franziska [dot] mey [at] rifs-potsdam [dot] de

Dr. Franziska Mey is a research associate in the Energy Transitions and Public Policy Group at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS). Her research focuses on socio-political issues in the context of the energy transition. She investigates the dynamics of a socially just coal phase-out and the participation and acceptance of citizens in the energy transition. Her work concentrates on two EU projects: In the project Tipping+, where she investigates tipping point dynamics at the regional and local level based on case study research in coal regions.

For the Tripod project, she conducts an international survey to identify individual preferences about the future design of our electricity system. Furthermore, she analyzes the development of political and policy narratives of a centralized and (versus) decentralized energy transition. In addition to her work at the RIFS, Franziska Mey is an honorary board member of the non-governmental organization Community Power Agency.

Prior to joining the RIFS, Franziska Mey worked at the Institute for Sustainable Futures in Sydney, Australia and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). She completed her PhD at the University of New South Wales on the Development of Community Energy and the Role of Institutional Factors supported by a scholarship from the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living. She holds a degree in political science and a master's degree in regional development and nature conservation.

  • 2020- present - Research Associate in the Energy Transitions and Public Policy Group | Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS)
  • 2019 - 2020 Parental leave
  • 2017 - 2019 Senior Research Consultant | Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology Sydney| Sydney (Australia)
  • 2013 - 2019 Staff member and board member at NGO Community Power Agency (CPA) | Sydney (Australia)
  • 2013 - 2017 Doctoral Dissertation at the University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia)
  • 2011 - October 2013 Director and CSR Manager | FairBuilding Network & BCI Media Group
  • 2006 - 2011 Project Manager | World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Berlin

  • National and international energy and climate policy
  • Social and economic dynamics in the energy transition
  • Socially responsible and equitable sustainability transformation
  • Citizen and community owned renewable energy
  • Public acceptance of renewable energy

Publications at the RIFS

Publications prior to joining the RIFS

  • Radtke, J., Drewing, E.; Eichenauer, E.; Holstenkamp, L.; Kamlage, J.-H.; Mey, F. et al. (2020): Energy transition and civic engagement. In: Ortwin Renn, Frank Ulmer und Anna Deckert (Hg.): The role of public participation in energy transitions. London: Academic Press, S. 81-91
  • Briggs, C. and Mey, F. (2020) Just Transition: Implications for the Corporate Sector and Financial Institutions in Australia. Prepared by ISF for NAB and Global Compact Network Australia. Sydney.
  • Mey, F. (2019) 'Energiewende in Australien: Polarisierungstendenzen in der Diskurskultur? BT - Energiewende in Zeiten des Populismus', in Radtke, J. et al. (eds). Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, pp. 181-207.
  • Mey, F and Hicks, J. (2019). Community owned renewable energy: Enabling the transition towards renewable energy? In: Newton, P, Prasad, D, Sproul, A, White, S,: Decarbonising the Built Environment: Charting the Transition. Palgrave Macmillan. Sydney.
  • Mey, F., Briggs, C., Dominish, E., Setton, D., Rutovitz, J., Nagrath, K. (2019). Just Transition: Case Studies in Coal-Dependent Economies. Prepared by ISF and IASS for Greenpeace Germany. Sydney and Berlin.
  • Mey, F. and Diesendorf, M. (2018) 'Who owns an energy transition? Strategic action fields and community wind energy in Denmark', Energy Research and Social Science, 35. doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.044.
  • Mey, F., 2017. Bürgerenergie in Australien. Neuer Hoffnungsträger trotz mangelnder politischer Unterstueztung [Citizen Energy in Australia. New hope despite lack of political support]. In: Handbook on Energy Transition and Participation. Berlin: Springer VS, 135-149.
  • Mey, F., Diesendorf, M., and MacGill, I. (2016). Can local government play a greater role for community renewable energy? A case study from Australia. Energy Research & Social Science, 21, 33-43.
  • Müller, J.R., Dorniok, D., Flieger, B., Holstenkamp, L., Mey, F., Radtke, J. (2015) 'Energy cooperatives -the success story needs new dynamics', GAIA, 24(2). doi: 10.14512/gaia.24.2.7.
  • Yildiz, Ö., Rommel, J., Debor, S., Holstenkamp, L., Mey, F., Müller, J.R., Radtke, J., Rognli, J. (2015) 'Renewable energy cooperatives as gatekeepers or facilitators? Recent developments in Germany and a multidisciplinary research agenda', Energy Research and Social Science, 6. doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2014.12.001.

  • 2021 Problems and Solutions for Decarbonisation and Energy Transition: a Cross-National Dialogue, online, 7-9 December 2021
  • 2021 6. Expert-Forum Future Initiative, 22. und 23. November 2021, online/ Herne organised by Emscher Genossenschaft
  • 2021 Conference Social innovation: next steps in the energy transition, session Co-chair "Policies and institutions for social innovations in renewable energy transitions", online, 18.-19 November 2021
  • 2021 The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference, online, 30 August - 3 September 2021
  • 2021 5. Energy and Society Konferenz, interaktiver Workshop co-chair "Exploring social storylines and tipping points of the European energy transition", online, 10.-12. Februar * 2021
  • 2020 "Transformative metrics" - Conference 5th and 6th October 2020, online, organised by the Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
  • 2016 5th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise Building a scientific field to foster the social enterprise eco-system from 29th June to 3rd July 2015 in Helsinki/Finland.

Scholarship from the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living.