Paper short abstract:

This contribution aims at highlighting specific characteristics of Global South countries that should be taken into account when discussing the concept of just transition. This specific characteristics stem from their historical position of raw material providers for the world economy.

Paper long abstract:

Climate change has set the stage: The twenty-first century will be shaped by the transformation of the reigning fossil-fueled energy system. The concept of 'just transition' arose during the 1990s in the North American labor union movement and aimed firstly at social protection programs for workers in industries potentially affected by the compliance of climate change policies. Despite the concept increasingly involves a rising number of ideas around environmental, climate, and energy justice far beyond the rather technical body of literature on energy transitions, it still focuses on and in the Global North. In order to correct this bias, my objective is to present some reflections from the Global South vis-à-vis the current climate change-driven scenario.

As the transition towards societies not dependent on fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) increasingly translates into the quest for minerals (e.g. lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper) necessary for the utilization of cleaner energy sources, first and foremost, I underscore that Global South countries depend on natural resources extractivism (including mining- and fossil fuels extractivism). This, for instance, has far-reaching consequences: Whereas many countries might experience disruptions in their exports of fossil fuels, and thereby face the challenge of the energy transition with hollow coffers, others might bet on a boost of mineral extractivism and expect to benefit from it. However, the conditions imposed by the new 'green' imperative make the question if natural resources abundance is "a blessing or a curse" more topical than ever.