Political Ecology of Energy Transitions
Summary
The political ecology of energy transitions examines how power relations, social justice and environmental change intersect as societies shift from fossil fuels to low-carbon systems. It foregrounds conflicts over land, resources and governance that arise in mining, manufacturing and deployment of renewable technologies. This field highlights uneven benefits and burdens across communities and regions, emphasising how economic incentives, geopolitical strategies and cultural values shape who gains and who loses. By integrating ecological science with social inquiry, it illuminates the material, institutional and discursive forces that drive or impede equitable and sustainable energy futures. Insights from this research inform policy frameworks, community planning and corporate accountability, offering pathways to governance arrangements that balance climate objectives with human and ecological wellbeing.
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Political Ecology of Energy Transitions publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in political ecology of energy transitions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Political ecology: An interdisciplinary approach analysing the power dynamics and social conflicts underlying environmental change and resource use.
Energy transition: The structural shift from fossil-fuel-based systems to renewable, low-carbon energy technologies and infrastructures.
Energy justice: A framework concerned with the fair distribution of energy benefits and burdens, recognition of diverse stakeholders and participatory decision-making in energy governance.
Security–sustainability nexus: The interlocking set of policies that link national or corporate security objectives with environmental credentials in resource extraction strategies.
References
- The race for critical minerals in Africa: A blessing or another resource curse?. Resources Policy (2024).
- The Security–Sustainability Nexus: Lithium Onshoring in the Global North. Global Environmental Politics (2023).
- Decolonizing energy justice from the ground up: Political ecology, ontology, and energy landscapes. Progress in Human Geography (2022).
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