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- Convenors:
-
Tessa Boumans
(Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Darren McCauley
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- Chairs:
-
Darren McCauley
Tessa Boumans (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
- Format:
- Traditional Open Panel
Short Abstract:
We explore the intersection between STS and the ‘Just Transition Framework’ (JT). JT has been primarily confined to the energy transition, yet can be mutually useful for STS. We explore JT in different contexts, and therefore encourage a more inclusive, justice-driven sustainable transition debate.
Long Abstract:
The purpose of this panel is to explore the intersection of two academic domains that hold the promise of shaping our future - Just Transition Theory (JT) and STS.
The word ‘justice’ can often be politicized in societal debates and used in a negative way to undermine justice debates (Sobande et al., 2022). However, scholars should remain aware that justice theories are thoroughly based in a wide range of socio-political academic fields. These fundamentals of justice theories can help to depolarize societal debates and at the same time guide a more sustainable and fair transition.
So far, JT debates have been mostly held in the domain of the global energy transition (McCauley and Pettigrew 2023, Sravan and Mirsha 2023, Thapa et al. 2023, Weitzel et al. 2023), assessing and promoting “fairness and equity throughout the transition away from fossil fuels." However, the importance of justice is not confined to the field of energy policy, economics, and law.
In the field of STS and transitions, the importance of justice is ever-present but under-explored. For example, Jasanoff & Kim's (2015) concept of socio-technical imaginaries explores the notion of 'desirable futures'. From a JT perspective, claims about what constitutes a “desirable” social transition opens up new lines of justice enquiry.
STS as a field is yet to fully explore structural inequities such as ageism, ableism, heteronormativity, racism, colonialism, and classism - and the intersections of these domains. For this panel, we explore how to merge these works in a robust, context-sensitive JT framework. This effort is a call for inclusivity, one where technology serves human development in a more profound way, now and in the future. Critical theoretical reflections and empirical contributions for this panel are therefore welcome on the intersections between justice, structural inequities and technologies.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Pieter Stek (Asia School of Business)
Short abstract:
By conceptualizing palm oil sustainability standards as a 'technology of governance', contradictions between how standards are created and implemented, and the capabilities and needs of small farmers, are revealed. A counter-factual analysis shows ways in which a just transition can be achieved.
Long abstract:
Palm oil is an important cash crop for rural communities in tropical climate zones. Since the early 2000s, there has been a movement to develop and implement voluntary sustainability standards for palm oil production, notably through the creation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). However, small farmers in particular have faced challenges in implementing RSPO standards, and different approaches have been tried to overcome barriers to adoption. This paper conceptualizes sustainability standards as a ‘technology of governance’ in the Foucauldian sense, and by combining Actor-Network Theory and Diffusion of Innovation Theory, analyzes efforts sponsored by a large multinational corporation to implement sustainable palm oil standards among small farmers in Johor, Malaysia to support their inclusion in global supply chains. The analysis highlights the contradictions between how palm oil standards are created and implemented, and the capabilities and needs of small farmers. The analysis suggests that the sustainability certification requirements place small farmers at a structural disadvantage and provide insufficient economic returns to cover certification costs. This inhibits the diffusion of certification among small farmers and hinders a 'just transition' in the palm oil sector. A counterfactual analysis of a sustainability standard that is co-created by small farmers provides a direction for the improvement and design of sustainability standards in order to facilitate a just transition.
Supriya Chotani (Independent Academic)
Long abstract:
India has about two and a half million waste pickers in the informal sector who contribute immensely to the recycling chain. However, they are denied basic rights of minimum and regular pay and social security benefits. For the past few decades, many organizations have been advocating for their rights, which has resulted in their recognition, albeit limited, within the policy domain and integration with the formal waste management system in a few Indian cities. More recently, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has acknowledged their work as green jobs as part of its “Just Transition” (JT) initiative. While such initiatives are a step forward toward more equality and dignity for these workers, the question that still begs more attention is that of caste. The majority of these waste pickers belong to the lowest end of the caste hierarchy and have been forced for centuries to carry out so-called ‘dirty,’ ‘polluting,’ menial works. Given that the annihilation of caste foremost requires dismantling caste-based occupational structures, the paper will explore how this objective sits with the overall vision of emancipating waste pickers within JT. By doing so, the paper aims to contribute to the discussions on the intersection of green technologies, just transition, and social justice.
Antonio Calleja-López (Internet Interdisciplinary Institute Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) Andreu Belsunces (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Short abstract:
In this talk we first present the concept of technopolitical transitions, then use Decidim (a free software, digital platform for participatory democracy) as a paradigmatic case study, then outline the democratizing horizons and practices of the project along with their multiple relations to STS.
Long abstract:
The talk explores the concept of "technopolitical transition", dissects a paradigmatic case study and outlines their relations to STS. "Socio-technical transitions" are understood, from the Multi-Level Perspective (Geels, 2019), as long-term transformations involving struggles at the micro, meso and macro level, including everyday life practices, organizational structures, technical procedures, visions of the future, market and state dynamics, among other factors. Meanwhile, technopolitics has been defined as "the strategic practice of designing or using technology to constitute, embody, or enact political goals" (Hetch, 2009). Technopolitical transitions thereby point to multi-level entanglements of, as well as strategic and tactical interventions into, the technological and the political fields as threads or drivers for broader sociotechnical change. To illustrate this we assess Decidim, a free software for participatory democracy used by over 500 organizations and 3'5 million people worldwide. One speaker is a Decidim co-founder and has framed it as a participatory software aiming for a recursive democratization of politics, technology, and society, more broadly (a "technopolitical democratization", Calleja-López, 2017). The talk presents the limits and potentialities of Decidim for embodying and promoting such aims, while showing how STS has been relevant in its conception and deployment.
References.
Calleja López, A. (2017). Since 15M: the technopolitical reassembling of democracy in Spain. Doctoral Thesis. University of Exeter.
Geels, F. W. (2019). Socio-technical transitions to sustainability: A review of criticisms and elaborations of the Multi-Level Perspective. Current opinion in environmental sustainability, 39, 187-201.
Hecht, G. (2009). The radiance of France: Nuclear power and national identity after World War II. MIT press.
brett cherry (Newcastle University)
Short abstract:
Empirical case study of a ‘left behind’ coastal town in transition. Blyth, Northumberland in the North East of England is known for its fossil fuel industrial legacies and pioneering research and development of offshore wind energy technologies. How might it benefit from a just transition framework?
Long abstract:
Many places that were once industrial, technological powerhouses are labelled as ‘left behind’ (MacKinnon et al, 2021; Pike et al 2023). The decline of industries such as coal mining in the UK led to ‘unjust transitions’ (Beynon & Hudson, 2022; Hudson, 1989) resulting in vast impoverishment and socio-economic devastation in towns, cities, and villages throughout the country. The North East of England is a region that was impacted by these transitions and is in need of ‘restorative justice’ (Heffron & McCauley, 2017). Despite its renowned contributions to industrial and technological innovations in many engineering fields: from ship building to electric power and lighting, and the industrial economic development that resulted from them, today the North East is an assemblage of networked and isolated ‘left behind’ places that hope to benefit from transitions to decarbonisation. This paper focuses on the coastal town of Blyth, Northumberland. Blyth has a proud industrial heritage that includes cutting edge research and development of offshore wind technologies. From a just transitions perspective that connects climate, energy, and environmental/ecological justice (McCauley & Heffron, 2018), how might just transitions benefit marginalised communities who have little to no trust in local or national governing bodies? Drawing on 50+ interviews with community and industrial actors in Blyth and the North East, ethnographic walks, and documentary analysis this paper uses an assemblage methodology to identify ‘possibility spaces’ – spaces of dynamic and emergent capacities (Briassoulis, 2017; DeLanda, 2019) -- for justice in a transitioning coastal town.
Barbara Bastos Sergio do Nascimento (Scuola Normale Superiore)
Short abstract:
GKN Campi Bisenzio's struggle advocates a just transition through worker-driven cooperatives, aligning with Digital and Green JT principles. The paper integrates labor activism, climate advocacy, and STS principles, addressing challenges in balancing JT with technological advancements.
Long abstract:
The GKN factory in Campi Bisenzio, Italy, was an auto parts production facility operated by the GKN company. In July 2021, the factory faced worker dismissals, leading to Italy's lengthiest factory occupation by the employees. Since then, the workers are forming alliances for a sustainable, worker-driven transition amid Italy's deindustrialization challenges (Gabbriellini & Gabbuti, 2023).This struggle extends beyond job defense, intertwining with a just transition movement towards a green future (McCauley & Heffron, 2018). The workers aim to reverse Italy's industrial decline, proposing a cooperative model for producing photovoltaic panels, batteries, and cargo bikes, aligning with the principles of a Digital and Green Just Transition (Bianchini et al., 2023). The GKN workers' cooperative initiatives demonstrate the fusion of socio-economic justice and sustainable technology, aligning with STS principles.
The paper delves into the GKN case, exploring the convergence of traditional labor activism with climate change advocacy and the emergence of sociotechnical immaginaries (Jasanoff & Kim, 2015). It suggests a bottom-up approach, emphasising community-driven reindustrialization, illustrating the potential of technology appropriation by workers (Teli et al., 2021). The study integrates STS into JT debates (Wang & Lo, 2021), addressing challenges in reconciling a lasting and scalable social justice with technological advancements.
Finally, the paper identifies nuances in merging these aspects, contributing to fostering transitions that prioritise socio-economic equity while navigating the complexities of technological innovation.