Recording of the conference: What does a just energy transition mean?

05.01.2023.- We would like to start 2023 by recalling one of last year’s highlights, Anthony Bebbington’s keynote lecture at the International Seminar “What does a Just Energy Transition mean? Challenges of North-South mining extractivism”. This meeting took place on 27 September 2022 in Bilbao and was organised by the University of Deusto and the Alboan Foundation. Among those present at the meeting were around twenty members of the Justice in Mining network, as well as other Catholic networks such as CIDSE and Churches and Mining. 

Anthony Bebbington holds a PhD in Geography and has been Professor of Environment and Society at Clark University, USA, as well as Research Professor in the School of Environment and Development at the University of Manchester, UK, and Research Associate at the Peruvian Centre for Social Studies in Lima, Peru. He currently works as International Director for Natural Resources and Climate Change at the Ford Foundation. 

Prof. Bebbington’s lecture is structured in three parts. He begins with a brief description of his work at the Ford Foundation and the reasons that brought him to the issue of just transition. From this context, he goes on to offer an analysis of the possible relationships between the energy transition and trends in mining dynamics that will serve as a basis for addressing the issue of justice in the energy transition. Finally, in his concluding remarks, he takes up this reflection on justice – or rather “justices” – to offer some ideas on how to think about the political foundations that will make a just energy transition possible.

Reminder, upcoming special Justice in Mining in Promotio Iustitiae: 

The written version of Anthony Bebbington’s inaugural lecture will be published in Promotio Iustitiae issue 135, titled “Justice in Mining Network: a global look at the challenges of mining extractivism“, which will include among other contributions some of the case studies presented at the Loyola meeting in September 2022. See the terms of reference in this link. The deadline for submitting articles is 15 February 2023.