Green Economy Implications on National Energy Governance: The case of Laos and Cambodia. PhD Research proposal

The concept of a green economy, which was developed in the field of environmental economics, has in the past two years entered mainstream policy discourse and been broadened from the industrialized countries to envelop the developing and also the least developed countries. Green economy is perceived as a concept replacing sustainable development as the new driving force of environmental action. However, different green economy approaches have been discussed and researched mainly in the context of industrialized countries. Thus, there is a clear need to bridge this gap by founding research on the green economy?s implications in developing countries hence the purpose of this PhD research is to analyze green growth in relation to energy governance in Cambodia and Laos. The following key research questions are raised: What are the governance processes that influence whether the efforts will be guided towards large-scale solutions, such as large scale hydropower or towards finding locally appropriate solutions for green economy transformations? What are the challenges and possibilities for transforming the energy sectors to be more inclusive? Qualitative research methods will be used to collect data in this research. Research materials and methods which will be used in this research include policy analysis assessing policy documents, development plans and strategies such as the green growth road map of Cambodia and the national renewable energy strategies for Cambodia and Laos. Additionally, in line with the scope of this research, thematic interviews will therefore be carried out with planners in different ministries and provincial authorities as well as among civil society actors to provide relevant information, opinions and thoughts on the topic. The findings of this research will add to the existing body of knowledge with insights for bridging society-science-policy gaps in energy governance planning and decision-making processes in Laos and Cambodia and other least developed countries where local capacity and resources are limited.