Pierre Bocquillon
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Pierre Bocquillon is an Associate Professor in EU Politics and Policy at the University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, UK. He is a scholar of EU and comparative European Politics, whose research focuses in particular on the politics and policies of energy and climate change. He is especially interested in EU energy and climate policies, and how democratic energy and climate transitions are governed across Europe and beyond. Current research projects include the comparative analysis of participation and democracy in energy transitions (including France and the UK), the governance of offshore wind developments, and the EU's effort to ramp up climate ambitions as part of the Paris Agreement and Green industrial policies in the EU. He has published widely in journals such as Environmental Politics, the Journal of European Public Policy, and Politiques Européennes. He has also edited two special issues, and published numerous book chapters and policy reports in his areas of specialism.
Pierre Bocquillon joins the Paris IAS in April 2026 for a one-month writing residency.
Research topics
Comparative European Politics; climate policy; democracy; energy policy; European Union; public participation.
Democratising the energy transition in Europe: a comparative analysis
A rapid energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean energies is widely recognised as key to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, in line with the international commitments made at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015. This clean energy transition is already partially under way thanks to technological advances, favourable support policies and falling renewable energy costs.
The transition is a fundamentally political process which challenges existing power relations and modes of energy governance. It notably involves a shift from centralised energy systems based on large and mostly fossil fuel based infrastructures, towards more decentralised ones based on distributed renewable energies. The transition challenges existing political arrangements, dominated by state and economic elites, and creates opportunities for opening energy systems and decision-making process to new economic (renewable energy companies, energy communities, 'prosumers') and political actors (NGOs, citizens initiatives). Greater individual and collective involvement of citizens in energy governance is desirable from a democratic perspective. It can make decision-making processes more inclusive and lead to policies that are more representative, just, and ultimately legitimate and durable. This project investigates the democratic opportunities and challenges created by the energy transition, proceeding through a comparative perspective.
Key publications
Pierre Bocquillon. "Climate and energy transitions in times of environmental backlash? The European Union ‘Green Deal’ from adoption to implementation". Journal of Common Market Studies, Annual Review. 2024.
Pierre Bocquillon, Tomas Maltby. "The challenge of ratcheting up climate ambitions: Implementing the ‘experimentalist‘ EU energy and climate governance regulation". Environmental Politics. 2024.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2024.2386796
Pierre Bocquillon, Eleanor Brooks, Tomas Maltby. "Talkin'Bout a Revolution? Institutional Change in the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility: The Case of Climate Policy". JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. 2023.
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