The concept of a “just transition” now refers to efforts aimed at reconciling social issues with environmental transformations. In recent years, particularly in the energy sector, significant resistance to environmental transformations serves as a reminder that the commitment to a more sustainable world cannot be separated from broader normative questions. Far from being limited to a theoretical or academic discussion, issues of environmental justice are rooted in the long history of social struggles and mobilizations that have taken place around the world since the 1970s.

By tracing this history and its lessons, Brendan Coolsaet invites students to integrate the concept of justice into their thinking about the energy transition: How can we define and evaluate a “just transition”? Beyond the moral imperative, why should we ensure that the transition is just? How can we measure the social impact of a project or transformation contributing to the energy transition?

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