Meanings of Energy Justice in the Low-Carbon Transition

Abstract

This chapter will explore the meanings of energy justice in the specific context of the low-carbon transition. I start with the dominant three-tenets theoretical framework of procedural, distributional, and recognition justice. Then I examine the relationship between energy justice and other concepts of justice such as climate, environment, mobility, and planetary justice as well as ‘just transitions’. Developing countries will account for over ⅔ of the world’s energy demand in the coming decades but scholarship continues to view the concept of energy justice largely through a Western perspective. So, I analyse the extent to which scholarship relating to the low-carbon transition in developing countries considers ‘universal’ meanings of energy justice, develops context-specific versions of the concept, or relies on other concepts such as energy ethics, energy equity, energy poverty and equity sovereignty. I then turn to the relationship between energy justice and energy injustice. The conclusion reflects on some challenges facing the quest for meanings of energy justice and identifies some areas for future research.