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University of Colorado Boulder

Publication Date

Spring 2022

Program Name

Portugal: Sustainability and Environmental Justice

Abstract

Western society lives with a great dependence and an almost simultaneous ignorance of energy consumption (van den Broek, 2019). The systemic landscape of energy knowledge and dissemination is more critical than ever as Portugal races to meet decarbonization goals. This paper fills a knowledge gap by updating the current social landscape of energy literacy in Portugal through a comprehensive system map and framework to increase energy literacy levels through the renewable energy transition. By conducting a semi-systematic literature review, meta-narratives and themes were identified and used to create theoretical concepts, a framework, and a system map. This research found that energy literacy is a factor of governmental regulations, the education system, information shared by energy companies, and geographical location. Increasing energy literacy through the renewable energy transition is possible through implementing national energy educational programs, a national strategy for energy research, and regulating the data analytics shared to consumers by energy companies. Future research is required to gain nationwide data on energy literacy and investigate the relationship among renewable energy dissemination, energy literacy, and attitudes towards decarbonization goals.

Disciplines

Civic and Community Engagement | Energy Policy | Environmental Education | International and Intercultural Communication | Natural Resources and Conservation | Oil, Gas, and Energy | Organizational Behavior and Theory | Politics and Social Change | Sustainability

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