Professor Miodrag Mesarović’s lecture
’Energy Transition and its Impact on Nature, Economy and Society’

As part of the lecture series ’Current State and Perspectives of Natural Resources of Serbia in the Era of Climate Change, Energy Transition and New Directions of Economic Development’, Professor Midorag Mesarović, PhD, will give a lecture titled ’Energy Transition and its Impact on Nature, Economy and Society’ on Thursday, 19 June, at noon, at the SASA Grand Hall.

As stated in the lecture abstract, the current energy transition from fossil to renewable sources is the first transition in the history of humanity carried out under political pressure rather than for reasons of convenience. In the past, markets and technology spontaneously offered more productive forms of useful energy, and states did not have to oblige consumers to switch from one primary energy source to another, as is the case today.

This energy transition, which must be supported by corresponding policies, is marked by a variety of impacts on nature, the economy, and the population. These impacts will be presented in detail, including how quickly “old” technologies on both the energy generation and consumption sides can be replaced by new ones. The costs of the energy transition appear to be enormous, and the division of financing responsibilities between wealthy and poorer nations must be a fair one.

Additionally, the lecture will highlight the risk that international political agreements, signed to ensure net-zero emissions by the middle of this century, may undermine transition dynamics and the self-interest of the majority if not fully respected. Renewable energy is considered inexhaustible and capable of replacing fossil fuels quickly enough to avoid potentially irreversible damages and unmanageable risks related to climate and environmental change. Still, this assumption often lacks a deep understanding of the many obstacles, which will also be addressed in the lecture.

The evolving international debate on whether the “Just Transition” can really be just one, and how the ambitious European policy to be the leader in “Green Transition” transfers to Serbia, will be discussed as well.

Professor Miodrag Mesarović is a member of the Academy Board for Energy and serves as the coordinator of the Inter-departmental Energy Board of the Academy of Engineering Sciences of Serbia. He is also the chairman of the Scientific Board of the Society of Thermal Engineers of Serbia. Until recently, he held the position of Secretary General of the Serbian Member Committee of the World Energy Council (WEC), a role he fulfilled for 25 years.

He graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Belgrade. He earned his Master’s degree from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and completed his specialisation in nuclear energy abroad. His interests included scientific research, energy system design and strategic planning of long-term energy development, as well as the environmental and climate-related impacts of energy and other fields related to the lecture topic.

The live streaming of the event is available via the link https://www.sanu.ac.rs/en/live-streaming/.