Knowledge of UN SDGs. Understanding of the processes constituting the given global challenges (environmental costs, circular health, ecosystem services and biodiversity, technological solutions). Acquisition of the basic elements of the scientific method (falsifiability, repeatability, models, science dissemination). General knowledge of major technical elements related to the challenge "Energy". At the end of the course the following leaning outcomes will be achieved: - the student will be able to describe the challenge of universal access to energy - the student will be able to understand the links between universal energy access, the historical-economic and ethical-legal aspects so to be able to build energy and socio-economic indicators - the student will be able to formulate the correlations between energy, poverty, inequality and prosperity.

Basic findings in physics and chemistry

The course is organized in the following modules: Module I. Access to energy: energy and technological framework, historical-economic framework, ethical-legal aspects (17h) which includes energy transitions between past and future (resources, technologies and international relations), the challenge of the universality of the energy transition and the ethical-legal aspects of universal access to energy. First of all, the module introduces the history of energy transitions, from the industrial revolution to today, illustrating the economic, technological, political, strategic factors that have redefined the geopolitics of energy sources in these two centuries (coal, oil, gas, nuclear); understanding past energy transitions is also key to understanding the current and future energy transition and the challenges it is called to face (from climate change to inequalities to power relations on a global scale). Energy consumption at a global level will then be illustrated, highlighting the aspects of inequality with particular attention to the lack of access to electricity and clean fuels for cooking in the various areas of the planet. Finally, it will be highlighted how energy transitions, in order to take place, need a convergence of technological and political-institutional innovations, also including the necessary changes in the technical and regulatory framework. The module also emphasizes the 'legal' dimension of energy as an instrumental right and concludes with an ethical-legal analysis of the concept of inequality. Module II. Access to energy: technological aspects and socio-economic implications (11.5h) which includes the issues of access to energy (residential, community and productive uses) and the related socio-economic impacts. First, the module illustrates the levels of energy access, drivers of energy demand and technologies for electrification and access to clean fuels. Therefore, the most relevant socio-economic indices in terms of access to energy and the impacts on energy services, gender, education, health, economic transformations and work, safety are introduced. Module III. Energy transitions and society: historical economic and legal framework (17h) which includes the energy transitions between past and future (the geopolitics of the current energy transition) and considerations about ‘means and ends’ in relation to the ethical-legal aspects of access to energy. The module develops the major issues of the current energy transition from a historical perspective, defining its geopolitical coordinates, the new relationship between resources, technologies and international relations, the emergence of new producers and consumers on a global scale, and the role of public opinion. Then some key changes in the regulatory framework that can facilitate access to energy will be illustrated, for example relating to the liberalization of markets or other solutions that lead to a 'leapfrogging' with respect to established trends.

A first introduction to all the “Big Challenges” courses (11,5 hours) will consist of: - the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - four samples of global challenges needing an integrated approach: 1) Climate Change and the definition of Anthropocene; 2) One Health (i.e.: pandemics and ecology); 3) Biodiversity crisis (Sixth Extinction model); 4) Beyond Problem Solving: global crisis and the evolution of technologies. The specific challenge "Energy" will then be detailed analysing the technical elements of greatest social relevance (3 hours); the following 45.5 hours will be structured as follows: - 24 hours of lectures, aimed at developing knowledge relating to the complexity and multidisciplinarity that characterizes energy, trying to highlight how the energy transition can be facilitated if the technological perspective is accompanied by the historical, political, economic and social one (as described in detail in the program). - 21.5 hours of practice and plus tutoring dedicated to the implementation of group projects. The group project will be about: Human development and energy: what measures? Following the explanation of existing human progress indicators such as l'HDI (Human Development Index)I and their relationship to energy, each group of students will be required to examine other metrics (environmental, political, demographic, legislative, etc.) and develop a practical application with a time series in relation to energy. The results obtained in characterizing the link between energy and human progress will have to be exposed to the other groups highlighting strengths and weaknesses. The explanation of the existing databases, the presentation of the project and the illustration of the method will be illustrated by teachers during lectures and practices. The group work will take place in the classroom (real or virtual) and students will always be able to count on the presence of at least 2 teachers. The group works will be, before their final discussion with the teachers, subject to a peer grading process where they will be analyzed and evaluated by other groups of students belonging to the course.

Books: - Jared Diamond, 1997, Armi, acciaio e malattie, Einaudi, Torino, 1998 (+ nuove edizioni) - Simon L. Lewis, Mark A. Maslin, 2018, Il pianeta umano, Einaudi, Torino, 2019. Articles (available on Politecnico Library System website, https://www.biblio.polito.it/): - David Morens, Anthony Fauci, 2020, “Emerging Pandemic Diseases: How We Got to COVID-19”, in Cell, 182: 1077-1092. - Emily Elhacham, Liad Ben-Uri, Jonathan Grozovski, Yinon M. Bar-On & Ron Milo, 2020, “Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass”, in Nature, 588: 442-444. DETAILED COURSE: • Vaclav Smil, Energy in Nature and Society General Energetics of Complex Systems, MIT Press • Thomas W. Pogge, World Poverty and Human Rights: Cosmopolitan Responsibilites and Reforms • EMILIE MAGDALINSKI, MARIE DELAIR, THOMAS PELLERIN-CARLI, Europe needs a political strategy to end energy poverty, Policy Paper #259, February 2021, • EU ENERGY POVERTY OBSERVATORY, Towards an inclusive energy transition in the European Union: Confronting energy poverty amidst a global crisis, Third pan-EU energy poverty report of the EU Energy Poverty Observatory, June 2020 • IEA SDG7: Data and Projections, Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, October 2020, • IRENA (2020), Post-COVID-19 recovery: An agenda for resilience, development and equality, • IVAN FAIELLA, LUCIANO LAVECCHIA, ‘Energy Poverty in Italy, Politica economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 1, 2015, 27–76. • KAREN ROWLINGSON, Does Income Inequality Cause Health and Social Problems?, Joseph Rowntree Foundation Report, 2011. • "Handbook of Energy Economics and Policy" (2021) Ed. Alessandro Rubino, Alessandro Sapio, Massimo La Scala and Michelle Hallack, ISBN: 9780128147122

Exam: Written test; Group project;

Criteria, rules and procedures for the examination The final exam aims to verify the acquisition of the knowledge and skills objective of the teaching (described in the field of Intended learning outcomes) The exam structure is as follows: - Written test consisting of 10 questions including multiple choice and open questions, relating to all the topics of the lectures and practices. Each correct answer is evaluated from 2 to 4 points; a wrong answer gives a penalty of -0.25 points; 0 points for unanswered question. The score will be normalized with maximum of 22 points. Please note that it is needed to achieve at least 18/30 in the written test to pass the exam. - Evaluation of group project through peer grading; maximum 3 points. Antiplagiarism softwares may be deployed. - Group discussion on the project in the classroom in front of students and teachers with maximum score of 5 points. - Overall, it is needed to collect at least 5 points in the group project.

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.