5 questions for… Prof. Dr. Predrag Cvetković
One of PET’s co-founders, Professor Dr. Predrag Cvetković, has been at the forefront of legal research and project implementation related to energy efficiency for over two decades. With extensive expertise in international law and energy transition, he has brought an invaluable perspective to our organization. In this interview, we asked Professor Cvetković to share insights into his motivation for working in the field of energy transition, and to discuss the role of various stakeholders in advancing energy transition.
1. What motivates you to work in the field of energy transition?
”The main motive is to participate in the process of immense present and future importance. This importance is far-reaching and involves the broad range of shareholders, institutions and bodies which differ in nature, scope and tasks. However, energy transition tackles all of them and influences different fields of life and society. No person will be left out from the radiation and influence of energy transition issues. Also, as a lawyer and an academic, I have to understand the way in which energy transition is regulated, its features as an object of regulation, the application of existing principles and rules on the energy transition issue and possible development of the new and/or reinvented legal concepts provoked by the energy transition as the issue of concern.”
2. Do you remember your first contact with the topic of energy transition, and how would you describe it?
”My first involvement in the energy transition issue came as the result of my participation in the framework of SHIFT program: its goal was to connect the experts from the energy field (especially focused on energy transition) with the academic from the field of social sciences (Law, Economy, Sociology). The whole project was designed to open the multidisciplinary, multifaceted and intended-to-be holistic approach toward energy transition.”
3. How can governmental institutions contribute to the energy transition?
”There is a threefold direction of governments’ activities toward the proper, timely, proportionate and efficient implementation of energy transition.
• The first is to provide the relevant law and policy framework for energy transition in the country concerned. The foregoing framework shall be adjusted to the realm of the country at stake, realistic in terms of intention and rational in using the resources.
• The second is to be proactive in implementation, monitoring and developing oriented activities in the energy transition field.
• The third is to establish the pool of knowledge for the educational purposes aimed to be used by the citizens, bodies and institutions for their own projects and energy transition activities.”
4. How can citizens contribute to the energy transition?
”The main contribution is to be proactive, open-minded and future-oriented regarding the importance of energy transition. At the end of the day, it is all about the awareness level.”
5. What is the role of smart technologies in energy transition, and why is it important?
”The smart technologies and energy transitions are coupled phenomena with mutual influence and synergetic effect when applied together. Smart technologies provide the efficient solution for existing issues, but open the space for reinvention of energy transition concepts by enabling the implementation of new technological concept able to resolve the issue not even recognizable in the absence of foregoing technology.”
