13097: Balancing Sustainability, Security, and Equity: Navigating Extreme Threats in the Energy Transition

Monday, July 28, 2025

08:30 - 10:00 CEST (GMT+2)

Location: Bella Center: Hall B-B2-m2

Session Type: Symposium (panel)
Orientation: Practice,International,Research
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/QGWwwz

Organizer(s)

IM

Ivana Milosevic

College of Charleston, United States

Moderator(s)

EB

Erin Bass

University of Nebraska at Omaha, United States

Presenter(s)

MB

Maoliang Bu

Nanjing U., China
BG

Birgitte Grogaard

BI Norwegian Business School, Norway
PG

Panikos G. Georgallis

U. of Amsterdam, Netherlands
CO

Chang Hoon Oh

U. of Kansas, United States
DM

Dorde Milosevic

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, United States

The global energy transition towards net-zero emissions is one of our time's most pressing grand challenges. Yet, the global energy transition is not an isolated environmental issue but one susceptible to the interconnected nature of global energy systems and the increasing severity of extreme threats—such as terrorism, global wars, geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, and human rights violations. Geopolitical conflicts can jeopardize energy security by affecting supply chains and access to resources; natural disasters can damage energy infrastructure, undermining energy equity by limiting accessibility and affordability; and in times of crisis, immediate responses may sideline environmental sustainability goals as priorities shift to urgent needs. This panel symposium brings together a diverse group of leading scholars and practitioners from across disciplines and geographies to address the intersection of extreme threats and the global energy transition. The panel will examine the nature of these threats and their impact on each facet of the energy transition by identifying underlying factors that lead extreme threats to either accelerate or impede the global energy transition. Additionally, each panelist will discuss how MNEs might navigate this double-edged scenario to address extreme threats while balancing energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability.