Complex journey to net zero emissions: a matter of energy justice

The journey to net zero emissions is a complex one, requiring compromise and a focus on energy justice. Despite the rhetoric, this is not yet being achieved.

Australia’s Contradictory stance on emissions

The Australian government delegation will attend the COP28 summit in Abu Dhabi, showcasing the efforts made under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to steer Australia towards net zero emissions by 2050.

However, despite Australia’s transition from a COP pariah in 2021 to a member of the climate club in 2023, the government has approved three new coal mines this year and state governments are considering reopening coal-fired power stations to reduce consumer costs.

This apparent contradiction has led some developing nations to accuse Australia of hypocrisy, particularly as their most vulnerable communities bear the brunt of emission reduction efforts. This raises questions of ‘energy justice’.

The science is unequivocal: carbon emissions must be reduced by nearly half by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. However, developing countries question why they should abandon fossil fuels while wealthier nations like Australia profit from rising fossil fuel export prices and continue to advocate for renewable energy targets.

Global Shift to Renewable Energy

Achieving net zero requires a global shift from a fossil fuel-based economy to one powered by renewable, lower-carbon energy sources such as solar, wind, and natural gas. These projects are not only healthier for our planet but also more cost-effective.

The energy transition could reduce air pollution and its health impacts, create jobs, increase tax revenues, and stimulate innovation. Many communities are already reaping these benefits.

For instance, standalone solar grids are providing essential services like healthcare and water purification in Malawi. Geothermal power plants are generating abundant and reliable electricity in Tsuchiyu Onsen town in Fukushima, Japan. Solar-based mini grids have brought electricity to nearly 13,700 remote villages in Cambodia.

Energy justice draws upon the three core principles of environmental justice:

• Distributive justice refers to burdens and benefits across populations.

• Procedural justice ensures transparency and inclusivity in energy policies and processes by deciding who is included in decision-making.

• Analyzing recognitional justice involves respecting and hearing voices to ensure the inclusion of the most vulnerable perspectives in planning.

Energy Justice: More Rhetoric than Practice

Chile’s Generacion Comunitaria, a partnership framework developed by the Ministry of Energy, serves as a model for an inclusive and participatory energy transition. This initiative enables Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to develop and manage their own renewable energy projects, making renewable energy affordable and accessible to the local population.

However, energy justice is often more talked about than practiced. Studies have shown that the planning and operation of renewable energy systems can disproportionately affect different groups, with women, children, the older people, and rural communities often bearing the socio-economic burden of the shift to renewables.

For instance, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, they expose children as young as seven to cobalt dust while they mine for metals used in electric car batteries. In India, women face displacement and loss of livelihoods due to the construction of a hydropower dam.

Injustices are particularly prevalent in developing economies. Energy transition projects often lack meaningful community engagement, with local perspectives and culture frequently overlooked. For example, in Mexico, during the development of the Yucatan Solar project, they excluded locals from key decision-making processes. This led to social resistance and a lawsuit to suspend the project.

Renewable Energy’s Unintended Environmental Impact

Renewable energy projects can also have adverse impacts on human health and ecosystems. A study in Congo found a high prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among those exposed to biomass burning. Other studies report habitat loss due to geothermal facilities construction and a high risk of collision of bats and birds with wind generators.

A just approach to renewable energy transition should incorporate various principles of energy justice in planning and implementation stages. It's crucial to carry out transitions to renewable energy with energy justice at their core.

To do that, we need to make efforts to ensure:

• Renewable energy projects should provide tangible benefits spread across local communities;

• We should spread the burden of change so it doesn't just fall on the most vulnerable.

• Decisions on renewables should meaningfully involve local communities; and

• The views and rights of local communities should be recognised.

We should not only view the shift to renewable energy as a technological or economic challenge, but also as a matter of social justice.

With its vast land mass and abundant renewable energy resources, Australia positions itself well to become a global frontrunner in the transition to renewables.

By placing justice and fairness at the core of its energy transition efforts, Australia can bolster the legitimacy of its potential leadership in this field.

This content is originally published under the Creative Commons license by 360info™. The Ground Report editorial team has made some changes to the original version.

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