Abstract
The planned retreat from a carbon based economy is an essential component of addressing the root causes of climate breakdown. The policy strategy of a ‘just transition’ stands as an energy transition pathway which can address some of the hard political and distributive issues of the transition to a low carbon economy. A Just Transition frame can address head on dominant and comfortingly narratives ‘win-win’ and ‘greening business as usual’. The reality is that moving to a low carbon or post-carbon economy and society means the end of the fossil fuel energy system (which includes but goes beyond electricity and transportation but has major implications for the food system for example). This throws up a host of complex issues ranging from the role of the state (national and local) in managing or coordinating the transition, issues of democratic voice and procedure, the opportunities around reframing fossil fuels as carbon resources, to divestment and reinvestment energy strategies. Central to all of these, and something under acknowledged in the literature, is to recognise that conflict transformation will frame and characterise the low carbon energy transition, since while leading to a net benefit to society as a while, this transition will produce ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in the process. Hence the need to bring together the literature on conflict transformation and energy transitions and the role of the state in just transitions through analysing state-coordinated processes of just transitions of the carbon energy sector in Ireland, Spain, Germany, China, and Scotland.
Presenters
John BarryProfessor of Green Political Economy , Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Just Transition Conflict Transformation Climate Justice Green New Deal
Digital Media
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