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Paper short abstract

This entry focuses on assessing the establishment of a “green” & “smart” industrial, technocratic, and military system in Sines, Portugal, while exploring contested views on “security” and “sustainability”, as well as socioecological impacts and grassroots resistance.

Paper long abstract

This study delves into the deceptive hegemonic narratives of decarbonization, “sustainability,” and continuous economic growth as political strategies that re-establish industrialization patterns while reviving militarization efforts. Drawing on hegemonic narratives for “peace”, “sustainability”, and “security”, this study explores the socioecological consequences of low-carbon infrastructure expansion associated with the continuous growth of one of the largest Industrial Complexes in Portugal under Europe’s Just Transition Mechanism. This study will, on one side, assess the geophysical dimension of cumulative (green) sacrifice brought by the vast (and sometimes illegal) large-scale low-carbon infrastructure projects in the region. On the other side, this entry will highlight how, from notions such as sacrifice zones or socioecological collateral damage, local grassroots resistance emerged and proliferated. Furthermore, by utilizing qualitative approaches (documentary research and thematic coding), the analysis identifies key aspects of the current state and modus operandi of the Portuguese “green” transition, while linking it to the “smart” industrialization and defense strategy. It also emphasizes that achieving a socially just energy transition remains a significant challenge, as labor continues to be precarious and several forms of green grabbing emerge.

In contrast to the hegemonic, bottom-down development, civil society, grassroots organizations and activist networks continue to grow in strength and advocate for the right to rural spaces and livelihoods, community-based energy projects, with a focus on the themes of decentralized energy governance, energy justice, inclusivity, and the role of energy commons as an alternative sustainable pathway for the region’s rural energy transition.