Prospects and challenges of Islamic finance instruments for low-carbon energy transitions: a legal analysis from an energy justice perspective

Abstract

Recently, there has been a discussion of ‘energy justice’ in academic and conceptual settings, with a focus on analysing the term from a policy perspective. Recent studies have investigated how energy justice principles can be incorporated into new energy business models and emphasised the need to implement them into policy decision-making processes. However, there has been no comprehensive study from a justice viewpoint on the mobilisation of capital, including state, commercial or public financing. Islamic finance is emerging as an alternative means of financing that could significantly advance sustainable growth in the international financial markets, including the energy industry. However, there are challenges to incorporating Islamic finance into the energy industry, and further empirical and theoretical analyses are necessary to determine its sustainability. This research aims to theoretically explore how Islamic financial instruments could play a role in the energy transition and unlock the challenges of Islamic finance in the energy industry from an energy justice perspective. It also offers valuable insights into the legal framework for a fair and eco-friendly energy transition, conceptualising the nexus between the principles of energy justice and the applications of Islamic finance structures in different stages of the energy system.