Just transition: a new framework for responsible extraction of energy transition metals for the renewable energy sector

This project uses social science and humanities research to identify how the concept of a just transition could provide a new framework for the responsible extraction of energy transition metals used by the renewable energy sector. The project will map and examine the procedural, distributive and restorative justice dimensions tied to the global demand for energy transition metals. We will focus on extraction in the Pacific Islands region, which is at the forefront of climate change impacts and has significant deposits of energy transition metals. By focussing on a specific region, the project will demonstrate how the justice dimensions of global energy transitions can be understood at the local and regional scale to provide knowledge to support just transition pathways across the supply chain for energy transition metals. The project innovates by developing a methodology entailing spatial mapping and qualitative research that is replicable across other regions.

Dr Emilka Skrzypek, University of St Andrews; Dr Nicholas Bainton, University of Queensland; Dr John Burton, University of Queensland