CSERC Roundtable, Seminar & Discussion with Dr. Timur Gül
On Friday, May 22, 2026, the Carleton Sustainable Energy Research Centre (CSERC) hosted an expert roundtable and seminar discussion featuring Dr. Timur Gül, Chief Energy Technology Officer at the International Energy Agency (IEA). The event brought together scholars, students, and policy experts to examine emerging challenges and opportunities shaping global energy transitions.
The morning roundtable convened representatives from a range of interdisciplinary initiatives, including Efficiency Canada, the Energy Modelling Hub, Re.Climate, the Sustainability Transitions Research Network, and the Transition Accelerator. Participants discussed the technological, economic, and governance dimensions of sustainable energy transitions, with a particular emphasis on industrial decarbonization, electricity systems transformation, and policy coordination across sectors.
Dr. Gül’s seminar discussion focused on findings from the IEA’s Energy Technology Perspectives 2026, highlighting the rapid expansion of global clean energy technology markets and the growing importance of manufacturing capacity and supply chain resilience. The presentation examined trade-offs surrounding the concentration of clean energy technology supply chains in China, which has accelerated the diffusion of critical clean technologies but also raised mounting geopolitical concerns over market dominance. Discussions explored the economic security implications of supply chain concentration, the place Canada might occupy in unfolding transitions, as well as the importance of strategic international partnerships and supply chain diversification.
Across both sessions, participants emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary research and collaboration in supporting efforts to realize sustainable energy systems. As CSERC Co-Chair, Professor Ahmed Abdulla stressed that “addressing the complexity of energy transitions requires sustained exchange across disciplines, where insights from engineering, policy, and the social sciences can be brought together to envision and help put in motion effective transition pathways”. Professor Daniel Rosenbloom, Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions and fellow CSERC Co-chair, added that “CSERC exists to convene researchers, policymakers, and practitioners across domains, creating a shared space to advance knowledge and translate it into actionable insights to accelerate the energy transition”.
