https://www.tni.org/en/publication/energy-transition-mythbusters
ABOUT
Lavinia Steinfort is a political geographer and activist. As a researcher at the Transnational Institute (TNI) she is working on public alternatives such as (re)municipalisation of public services, a just transition towards energy democracy and transforming finance for the 99%.
James Angel is a researcher and activist based in London. His work focuses on the politics of low-carbon energy transition and ideas and practices of energy democracy. James holds a PhD in human geography from King's College London.
In the face of the ever-worsening climate crisis, this report aims to challenge the six harmful but influential energy transition myths. Together, these myths aim to persuade us that the private sector, free markets, cheaper prices and decentralisation can decarbonise the energy system — and that intellectual property rights and trade and investment protection agreements are necessary to facilitate this. These myths keep policy-makers, social movements and communities from defending, building and advocating for real solutions: public power systems that can democratically decarbonise society.
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This report demonstrates that reducing energy demand and switching the entire electricity infrastructure to renewables is not a profitable endeavour. Rather, it entails costly and comprehensive change that will not succeed without public planning, public finance and public ownership. The transition requires governments to be well equipped and held accountable by a myriad of social movements and populations at large to implement policies in the public interest. Instead of leaving the energy system to the market and corporations, governments should ensure that energy workers and users can participate at every level of the sector to ensure that just, democratic and sustainable public energy systems are built. We hope these mythbusters contribute to an increasingly powerful and interconnected labour and environmental justice movement that, collectively, can force governments to dismantle the for-profit market model and realise energy transitions by and for the public. Finally, this publication is part of an open political process in which trade unions, scholar activists and frontline communities have developed an Energy Democracy Movement Declaration. This seeks to work towards taking energy back from the market and moving towards public ownership and democratic management, with popular participation, human rights and equality at its heart. The Transnational Institute (TNI) is an international research and advocacy institute committed to building a just, democratic and sustainable planet. For nearly 50 years, TNI has served as a unique nexus between social movements, engaged scholars and policy makers.
