Editor’s choice
This study focuses on the current renewable energy developments in La Guajira, Colombia, where there exists high potential for wind energy, but extractive industries have dominated the economy.
In this Energy Research & Social Science article, the authors explore the implications of a just and equitable energy transition in this region, weighing the procedures, recognition of local populations and social acceptance that must be navigated in order to build the required infrastructure.
Photo: Ricardo Arce / Unsplash
While renewable energy needs global expansion in order to head off the worst effects of climate change and limit global warming to 1.5°C, reforms to any given energy grid can lead to negative economic and social consequences for some populations if not done with deliberate attention to minimizing harmful effects.
In the case of Colombia, the energy transition has brought a focus on La Guajira region for its world-class and untapped wind energy potential with the associated need for new transmission infrastructure. However, the legacy of the area’s fossil fuel industry has stoked distrust of and resistance to renewable energy development.
This article examines the consultation process for a new wind energy transmission line in La Guajira using an energy justice lens that prioritizes local buy-in and fairness among different populations. Researchers aim to pinpoint the perceived injustices in the decision-making process that can impede wider acceptance of new energy sources.
Initiative / The Carbon Lock-In Initiative seeks to uncover and address the barriers that uphold the fossil fuel-based economy.
Initiative / Esta iniciativa busca descubrir y abordar las barreras que sostienen la economía basada en combustibles fósiles.
Perspective / In Latin American countries and other regions reliant on fossil fuels, now is the time to turn a new page. Success depends on making a just transition, but how?
Perspective / The vulnerability of fossil fuel-producing countries in Latin America has been exacerbated by Covid-19, but countries are only investing more in fossil fuels.
Other publication / The 2021 report reveals that countries' fossil fuel production plans remain dangerously out of sync with the limits consistent with the Paris Agreement.
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