Feminist Just Transition

“The transition needed is not only to convert fossil-based energy, but changing the economic system and development orientation, and addressing issues of gender inequality and injustice against women.”

In 2018, the IPCC highlighted the unprecedented scale of the challenge required to keep warming to 1.5°C. Five years later, that challenge has become even greater due to a continued growth in greenhouse gas emissions. The efforts that have been made so far are considered far from sufficient to tackle the climate crisis. As we know that the Fossil fuel sector (coal, oil, and gas) is the largest contributor to global climate change by far, the concrete roadmap and plans to phase out fossil fuels are considered a main solution to tackle this root cause of the climate crisis. Energy transition has been demanded by civil society movements for a long time. We demand the governments, especially from countries of the global north, do the transition necessary, significantly cut their fossil fuel consumption, and finally move away from fossil fuels completely.

The issues of the climate crisis, fossil fuel extraction, and energy overconsumption, are also issues of the power dynamics in global economic politics. Most of the energy consumption occurs due to industry activities. This entails production but also the processes of trade and its associated industries such as transportation and marketing. These industries only benefit a small group of people but have disastrous impacts on the wellbeing of millions of people as well as other organisms. The transition won’t happen if we are not shifting our economic and overall growth-oriented development globally. Besides that, we need to ensure that climate action, including energy transition, doesn’t cause the same problems as the climate crises, such as the loss of people’s life, land, and livelihoods. Just transitions became a strong narrative within the climate justice movement to ensure the transition proceeds fairly and doesn’t cause more injustices to people.

Just Transition is a framework that seeks to ensure a more equitable shift to a regenerative, low-carbon economy through social inclusion and poverty eradication. In simple terms, just transition is defined as part of the energy transition where economic, social, and environmental aspects are prioritised in carrying out the transition process. The concept of Just Transition first emerged in the United States in the 1970s. The idea emerged from negotiations between unions, community members, and environmental organisations around the closure of a nuclear power plant. Through the 1980s and 1990s the concept was increasingly picked up around the world. It gained popularity as a powerful framework, which could express workers’ demands in relation to environmental conflicts and unite different forms of resistance against the political economic model that has been trashing the planet, concentrating wealth, and exploiting workers around the world, with impacts falling disproportionately on marginalised communities. The concept of Just Transition bridges the gaps between workers, environmentalists and communities, to foster an alternative socio environmental politics that values collective representation by workers and communities around principles of social and environmental justice.

In the second decade of the 21st century, after the Paris Agreement in 2015, many programs began to be carried out by various movements ranging from labour organisations, environmental organisations, and wider social organisations with the aim of spreading the concept of just transition. As it developed, this concept has not escaped the notice of industries and politicians. Some governments and transnational corporations (TNCs) are now advancing visions that pay lip service to the concept of ‘just transition’, while allowing them to continue to profit from initiatives that social movements around the world have branded as ‘false solutions’.

From cap-and-trade systems, carbon capture and geoengineering, nature-based solutions (which promote massive monocultural agrofuel plantations most of the time), net zero emission with its clean and renewable energy projects to a number of highly problematic ‘solutions’ to the climate crisis are being discussed. Instead of addressing the existing climate crisis, This form of transition is deepening inequality; taking land and resources from marginalized communities; eliminating democratic control over resources; privatising the commons, public goods and services; it continues exploitation of workers, perpetuating the most destructive aspects of our current economic system. It is clear that the Just Transition concept promoted by civil society movements, which see environmental damage as just one form of a broader crisis, contrasts with the concept promoted by governments and corporations that aim solely for economic growth. COP24 in Katowice adopted the Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration (UNFCCC 2018). We need to keep demanding its implementation, and most importantly, ensure that the energy transition and transformation also takes place with clear and adequate planning.

To be genuinely transformative it needs to recognise and reckon with the histories of marginalisation, exploitation, and injustice that built, and sustain, our current energy system. That includes the patriarchy and gender injustices that marginalize women and put them in more vulnerable situations. The transformation will require a shift in economic power domination, into a whole different society that was built based on the principle of human rights, and equality, which include gender equality. The energy transition agenda should be a part of and not separated from this comprehensive transformation. Just transition should not just consider the impact on workers, but also effects on women and the communities affected by the energy transition projects.

Energy Transition as False Solution: Indonesia’s Experiences

In the energy sector, the Indonesian government is presenting energy projects in the name of climate solutions from fossil energy to new renewable energy, including hydropower energy; geothermal energy (geothermal), and more. Even though these industries are considered cleaner than fossil energy, large-scale energy projects almost always have a negative impact on the surrounding communities. One of the communities who got to experience this first hand are the Poso women who lost their land and water and even had their cultural and spiritual values destroyed by the Poso Hydroelectric Power Plant (PLTA) project.

The Poso Energy Hydroelectric Power Plant is one of the large-scale energy projects which is presented as a new renewable energy project in Central Sulawesi. The construction of the Poso Hydroelectric Power Plant was carried out in stages, starting in 2003. In 2021, the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the 515 megawatt Poso Energy Hydroelectric Power Plant (PLTA) in the Poso Regency. In his inauguration speech, Jokowi said that this would support the energy transition process towards new renewable energy (EBT). This is contrary to the fact that large-scale energy projects such as hydropower often have negative social and economic impacts. It is very unfortunate that the commitment to reduce emissions in the energy sector is realized through policies that result in various problems for the surrounding communities.

The reality of the problems faced by Poso Women because of the Poso Energy project activities include the loss of livelihood, cultural heritage, clean water resources, land, and increasing health problems. Women in Poso who have experienced negative impacts or have the potential to experience negative impacts from PT Poso Energy project activities are in fact neither involved in decision-making, nor receive clear and complete information from the planning process to the implementation of the PT Poso Energy project.

Women are not informed of the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts that result from the project even though they should have been notified by the company and government before the PT Poso Energy project had even started. Women also didn’t receive complete and clear information regarding the requirements and costs of land acquisition and information on the potential for losing access to economic resources and the loss of jobs. Those who were assured job opportunities on the project were mostly given empty promises. The few that where employed after all were placed as unskilled workers or confronted with requirements that could only be filled by professional workers with a higher educational background, so that ultimately people couldn’t access these jobs. Apart from that, women often face violence and intimidation from related parties if they don’t give up their land or because they are considered to be opposition to PT Poso Energy.

Besides hydropower, geothermal energy also became a flagship project in Indonesia, aiming to be an energy transition or renewable energy project. Indonesia is the second largest producer of geothermal energy, trailing only the US, and has the world’s largest geothermal energy potential, which is about 40 percent of the total global potential. While geothermal energy is presented as a sustainable and renewable power source, some projects in Indonesia show how it has disastrous impacts on women and their communities. Based on Solidaritas Perempuan’s study, geothermal projects have been causing a variety of negative effects for communities and adding layers of injustice to mistreatment experienced by women. In addition to land grabbing, pollution and the potential for natural disasters, there is a risk for the loss of the cultural heritage of local communities.

Starting in 2017, people in Banyumas, Central Java have found that their water is muddied by debris and soil from the Baturaden geothermal power plant project, into the Prukut river which has a vital function as a water source for thousands of people. While the government once committed to provide clean water to the people, the people organised protests to reject the project and criticized that the project gave no benefit to people.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy, Resources and Minerals has declared Flores island (East Nusa Tenggara) to be a Geothermal island, by designating 27 geothermal locations. The people of Poco Leok reject the government’s plan to carry out geothermal development in their village. Women are key actors in this resistance. They organize and fight together, because they are worried about disasters and damage to agriculture, which is their source of life. Their dependence on agricultural products to maintain their survival is very high, both for daily needs and for income which, amongst other things, allows them to send their children to school.

Currently, Indonesia receives a lot of support for energy projects internationally. The European Union for instance, has committed 3.5 billion euro to Indonesia for the Just Energy Transition Partnership. However, there is no concrete commitment from the Indonesian government to stop coal power plant development. Energy projects in Indonesia present themselves as more of an investment opportunity than a solution for the climate crisis. The same model of capitalist development is then implemented in the global climate agenda. The way energy transition was handled in Indonesia had bad impacts on communities, and caused the same impact as the climate crisis, which means the loss of communities’ livelihoods. The loss of livelihood will ultimately lead to the extinction of heritage and cultural values, since there is a large volume of traditions attributed to show gratitude for the abundance of crops, fish, etc, which is an important part of many Indigenous people’s identity.

Promoting Feminist Just Transition

Women’s struggle against systemic oppression is a never-ending story. Worldwide, Women are facing difficulties showing their existence and lived realities, a struggle men don’t share. This is just one phenomena of the gender inequality, caused by disparity in power relationships among men and women (Hooks, 1984). The reason for these imbalances is that women live within the oppressive system that is patriarchy. This system creates male domination over women that leads women to become victims. As time goes by, the patriarchy is not just about the inequality of power relations among women and men but has manifested in the power of the state. With its power, today the state actively seizes the sovereignty of the people. Women who have been subordinated to the patriarchy for a long time are increasingly losing their sovereignty, because their voices, knowledge and experiences are not considered by the state and social systems.

For decades, governments of global south countries have been following the global north on their path of neoliberalism to push economic development. This economic system makes unlimited economic growth the ultimate goal. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which measures the wealth of countries in the world, has emerged as the strongest and dominant numerical concept in the development paradigm of most countries of the Global South. Thus, unlimited economic growth is carried out by extraction, exploitation and destruction of the environment, humans and the planet. In this way, the neoliberal economic model becomes a main driver of the climate crisis.

But the economic system causing the climate crisis is also escalating the exploitation of women. As we know, women are facing multi-layered impacts as they are often the ones that are expected to carry out unpaid care-work on top of any wage labour. The multi-layered impact is especially visible in the labour sector, where women face wage discrimination and social security is often only guaranteed for men, especially in countries of the Global South. In Indonesia, more than 60 percent of women are working in the informal sector. And that’s only the conservative estimation derived from the data that is documented by the Indonesian government. These women are traditional farmers, peasants, and fishers, who are not being recognized as such. In their identity cards they are simply registered as housewives. In Indonesia, many female fishers want to get an official fisher’s card, because it grants access to insurances and subsidies. However, it’s really difficult for them because the local governments insist that they are housewives and are at most helping their husbands with their work.

A universal basic income, or ‘social wage’, is one of the features in a “just and equitable” transition. Unfortunately, this indicator does not take into account the contribution of women’s unpaid care work as stated above. For the energy transition to be truly just and transformative, it must be seen from a feminist perspective taking into consideration the struggles of women, indigenous communities, and other marginalized groups in society — hence the concept of a ‘feminist just transition framework.’

There is no single formula to define a feminist just transition. It comes from the awareness that today’s global economic system is unfair, based on exploitation and reinforcing of gender inequality. That system is built by power domination of big business and the influence of countries of the Global North who undermine human rights and lack environmental sustainability and gender equality. On the other hand, women also have the agency to lead their communities, and create various initiatives to fight for their lives, including against the climate crisis. Although women’s experiences are often marginalized by current systems and not recognized as knowledge or technology, a feminist just transition needs to dig deeper into women’s experiences and knowledge to build new systems that are fair to women and marginalized groups.

A feminist just transition cannot be one uniform system. It is developed via community initiatives and experiences, where women and other marginalized genders are actively participating. The transition needed is not only to convert fossil-based energy, but to shift the economic system and development orientation, while also addressing issues of gender inequality and injustices against women and marginalized groups. We need a just transition that contributes to restoring and recovering women’s economic means and livelihoods, as well as their knowledge and experience of sustainability-oriented economies. It needs to uplift the various local knowledge and traditional systems that have been marginalized by the current global political economic system. The feminist perspective on just transition encourages a systemic transition and transformation that shifts away from current patterns of excessive consumption and production, as well as addressing inequality in work relations at the global level as well as transformation of the division of labour and gender relations.

Here are some general indicators that might help us to develop the feminist just transition in our communities. The indicators can grow as we reflect and learn and are adjustable to the needs of each community.

• Enforcement of Human Rights and Women’s Rights, ensuring that the transition will not violate human rights and women’s rights;
• Recognition of gender inequality, building gender equity and equality;
• Community-oriented development which includes ensuring access, control, participation and benefits for women;
• Recognition of women’s knowledge and experiences

Written by Rima Bilaut and Dinda Nuur Annisaa Yura from Solidaritas Perempuan (Women’s Solidarity for Human Rights)

References

1. IPCC Press Release, “Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future for all,” 20 March 2023, https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/press/IPCC_AR6_SYR_PressRelease_en.pdf
2. Transnational Institute, 2020. “Workshop Report, Just Transition: How Environmental Justice Organisations and Trade Unions are Coming Together for Social and Environmental Transformation”. <https://www.tni.org/files/publication-downloads/web_justtransition.pdf>
3. Spanne, 2021, “Just Transition: History, Principles, and Examples”, June 30, Accesed on September 14,2023 from <https://www.treehugger.com/just-transition-history-principles-and-examples-5190469#toc-history-and-evolution-of-framework>
4. Solidaritas Perempuan,2021, “Catatan Akhir Tahun Advokasi Kasus: Geliat Perjuangan Perempuan Melawan Pemulihan Palsu Negara”, <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AgyhQ250NKEbTm9DIX3lND-Hg2OlT76C/view >
5. Koty, Alexander, 2022, “An Overview of Indonesia’s Geothermal Energy Sector, July 28, Accessed on 17th November 2023 <https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/an-overview-of-indonesias-geothermal-energy-sector/>
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7. Solidaritas Perempuan Study, “Exploring Geothermal Energy Development in Indonesia: Policy Failures and Impacts on Women’s Rights,” 2023
8. BBC Indonesia, “Ketika proyek energi bersih justru munculkan air keruh di Banyumas,” access through https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/majalah-41661762
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