Low-carbon Energy, Sustainable Development and Justice: Toward a Socially and Environmentally Just Transition

28/12/2021

Giuseppina Siciliano, Linda Wallbott, Frauke Urban,Dang Nguyen Anh and Markus Lederer

Abstract: A consideration of justice principles (recognition, distribution and process) and sustainable development for the achievement of a socially and environmentally just energy transition toward a low-carbon society is increasingly called for by both governmental and civil society actors. This paper establishes a conceptual linkage between ‘sustainable development’, ‘low-carbon energy transitions’ and ‘energy justice’ and examines social priorities to address peoples’ competing priorities associated with low-carbon energy interventions. By using a renewable energy project in Vietnam as a case study the paper shows that linking social priorities to energy justice provide a useful contribution for energy policy makers toward a better understanding of the multidimensional and complex aspects of low-carbon energy transitions, and how different segments of society prioritise and perceive them for the achievement of socially-just energy decisions.
Keywords: Low-carbon transitions, sustainable development, justice, stakeholder engagement, energy.