The Power of Energy Justice for Rural Communities

Rural communities hold a critical role in progressing the energy transformation agenda to reach net-zero emissions. Yet, to date, global energy policies have tended to focus on energy security, availability, affordability, and sustainability in urban regions. This chapter surveys rural communities, which are often in proximity to or host energy developments, as a crucial conduit in the renewed social contract paradigm. A growing scholarly and commercial consensus confirms without energy justice principles, rural community contestation and conflicts over net-zero energy developments are likely to arise. Such conflict may lead to withdrawal from the Social Licence to Operate (SLO) process and create risks and uncertainty for net-zero energy projects. It examines challenges and opportunities for energy justice in rural communities highlighting the need for rural community engagement roadmaps and a more nuanced understanding and mitigation of community-level needs to ensure a sustainable energy future.