PhD student (EXPIRED)

The Faculty of Philosophy and the Department of Psychology of the University of Groningen are looking for a PhD student in the NWO-funded research project "Designing Innovative and Responsible Heating Systems".

The PhD position, which lasts four years, is hosted by the Department of Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy of the Faculty of Philosophy. The successful applicant will be working under direct supervision of prof.dr. Frank Hindriks, prof.dr. Linda Steg and dr. Angela Ruepert.

Eliminating natural gas use form the built environment and replacing it with suitable heating systems is vital in reaching CO2 reduction targets, which is important for reducing climate change. However, it is a challenge to do this in a way that is fair and acceptable to the stakeholders including (semi)public actors and consumers. Although heating systems are more sustainable energy sources than natural gas, acceptance among end users is relatively low. A major obstacle is that it limits freedom of choice. Other values such as trust and responsibility also have an impact on acceptability. Furthermore, the implementation of heating systems raises issues of fairness, both distributive and procedural. Will the benefits of heating systems be available to all? Do consumers play any role in the decision process to implement heating systems? The main goal of this project is to integrate philosophical theories of fairness with empirical findings concerning acceptability or perceived fairness. This will be conducive to developing a perspective about the conditions under which stakeholders regard heating systems as a suitable option.