Justice in transition: Contesting narratives and converging interpretations in India's energy shift

IF 7.4 2区经济学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Energy Research & Social Science Pub Date : 2025-09-25 DOI:10.1016/j.erss.2025.104333

Jay Ganesh Pandey, Atul Kumar

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The discourses on ensuring justice in energy transition are termed widely as just transition. In India, these discourses are at a nascent stage. Given the deep entrenchment of coal in India, the justice elements in energy transition are perceived distinctly and articulated differently by various stakeholders. Mapping these diverse perspectives offers valuable insights with significant policy implications, particularly in the context of phasing down coal. This study endeavoured to identify and explore varying interpretations of just transition among key stakeholder groups in India. It also analysed the areas of convergences and divergences between the stakeholders' perspectives. This study employs thematic analysis of 23 semi-structured interviews and supporting policy documents to identify six key justice themes and synthesise three stakeholder-informed visions of just transition in India. These three visions are (a) just transition as an integrated framework of justice, (b) just transition for all, and (c) Just transition as a key to sustainable development. Together, these visions not only align with the global literature on just transition but also offer actionable pathways and policy guidance tailored to India's unique developmental and energy landscape. A key strategic insight emerging from the analysis is the emphasis on regional transformation through economic diversification.

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转型中的正义：印度能源转型中的争议叙事和趋同解读

在能源转型中确保公正的论述被广泛地称为公正转型。在印度，这些论述还处于萌芽阶段。鉴于煤炭在印度根深蒂固的地位，能源转型中的正义因素被不同的利益相关者清楚地认识和表达。绘制这些不同的视角提供了有价值的见解，具有重要的政策意义，特别是在逐步减少煤炭的背景下。本研究试图识别和探索印度主要利益相关者群体对公正过渡的不同解释。它还分析了利益攸关方观点之间的趋同和分歧领域。本研究通过对23个半结构化访谈和支持性政策文件的专题分析，确定了六个关键的司法主题，并综合了三个利益相关者对印度公正转型的看法。这三个愿景是：(a)作为综合司法框架的公正过渡，(b)所有人的公正过渡，以及(c)作为可持续发展关键的公正过渡。总之，这些愿景不仅与全球关于公正转型的文献一致，而且为印度独特的发展和能源格局提供了可行的途径和政策指导。从分析中得出的一个关键战略见解是强调通过经济多样化实现区域转型。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Energy Research & Social Science ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-

CiteScore

14.00

自引率

16.40%

发文量

441

审稿时长

55 days

期刊介绍： Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS) is a peer-reviewed international journal that publishes original research and review articles examining the relationship between energy systems and society. ERSS covers a range of topics revolving around the intersection of energy technologies, fuels, and resources on one side and social processes and influences - including communities of energy users, people affected by energy production, social institutions, customs, traditions, behaviors, and policies - on the other. Put another way, ERSS investigates the social system surrounding energy technology and hardware. ERSS is relevant for energy practitioners, researchers interested in the social aspects of energy production or use, and policymakers. Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS) provides an interdisciplinary forum to discuss how social and technical issues related to energy production and consumption interact. Energy production, distribution, and consumption all have both technical and human components, and the latter involves the human causes and consequences of energy-related activities and processes as well as social structures that shape how people interact with energy systems. Energy analysis, therefore, needs to look beyond the dimensions of technology and economics to include these social and human elements.