Energy justice, Just Transitions and Scottish energy policy: A re-grounding of theory in policy practice

Abstract

Now, more than ever, there is a pressing need to focus overtly on justice issues in energy affairs as part of the socio-technical reimagining of energy futures. With reference to the energy justice and Just Transitions literatures - two popularised and increasingly intertwined concepts - this paper analyses how justice is conceptualised in policy practice through a case study analysis of energy policymaking in Scotland. It does so by drawing upon the analysis of 6 expert interviews and 148 legislative and government documents published between 2010 and 2020. Through the lens of this case study, the paper makes three contributions. First, it responds to appeals in the energy justice scholarship for practical applicability. Second, the paper re-grounds these justice literatures in political and economic realities within the Scottish case study, providing recommendations for academia, Scottish policy and wider contexts. Three, it reveals rich empirical detail. Throughout the analysis, four key thematic categories emerged, each articulating the manifestation of justice concerns in Scottish energy policy: affordability and fuel poverty, forms of recognition, energy in relation to political interests and decision-making, and the Just Transition as a cross-cutting theme.