This volume takes an ecofeminist perspective in analysing societal changes related to energy transition, with a focus on Upper Silesia in Europe, following the closure of coal-mining industries in the region. It provides both a macro and micro view of how energy transition in societies built around an energy industry can lead to major shifts in societal and familial dynamics, and how women locate themselves in this transition period affecting the economy as well as social and environmental structures and values. Densely populated Upper Silesia in southern Poland, with one of the longest histories of industrialization, extractivism and environmental degradation in Europe, can be considered as a microcosm of regions that have undergone such changes due to energy transition. The traces of telling socio-economic changes, as well as the tangle of modernity and conservatism, are both clearly visible in the local region and society. The book documents the Silesian changes and highlights the female perspective: their culture, identities, as well as empowerment and the agency. The paradigm of feminist and masculinity studies helps in presenting the complexity and the challenges of the just energy transition. This is a topical volume, given that many regions of the world are undergoing similar changes, and is an interesting read for decision-makers, policy experts, environmentalists, as well social scientists who study issues related to sustainability and environmental/societal challenges in energy transition. Chapter 1 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book brings together diverse contributions exploring the integration of gender equality in current national energy policies and international energy frameworks across the Global South and North. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach, this collection contributes to building a body of independent empirical evidence about the impacts of the energy transition on socio-economic outcomes, with a focus on gender differentiated choices of energy forms. The book includes short reflections in each chapter allowing the reader to explore the content from an alternative perspective. The common thread enabling the book to actively contribute to engendering the energy transition is its approach to the topic from a primarily ‘gender’ driven perspective. The book draws many useful lessons from practice and shares gender mainstreaming tools for use across the Global South and the North. Such an approach brings novel insights from theoretical, methodological and practical perspectives, which further promotes cross-disciplinary learning and will be of interest to researchers and practitioners from across the Energy and Gender disciplines.

This book examines the low-carbon energy transition taking place in developing Asia, in the context of persisting social and gender inequalities, the threat of climate change which has necessitated the decarbonisation of industry, and examines how developing Asia can ‘leap-frog’ the carbon-emitting stages that more developed economies have passed through, while simultaneously ‘leap-frogging’ social and gender equity gaps. The book uses the concept of ‘disruptive technologies’, an area of study that assesses the potential of certain technologies to disrupt the status quo and the concept of socio-technical frameworks, where social considerations are factored in to engineering systems and models. Using case studies and methodologies drawn from interdisciplinary approaches to engineering, and from development studies, science and technology studies and feminist approaches, it assesses how the low-carbon energy transition potentially provides poor women in developing Asia the opportunity to get on board at the early phase of these changes and influence and even transform their societies and lives.

This brief tracks the presence of women across the wind energy value chain. Based on a survey of over 1 000 individuals and organisations, it examines female representation, gender-inclusive policies, and perceptions of gender bias in the industry.

There are several pathways through which energy systems are transitioning to a decarbonized, sustainable economy. The development and implementation of these technologies are being driven by innovation in a wide variety of technologies. Now that most economies are emerging, governments are focused on driving a sustainable socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is an endemic issue which must be addressed. The energy sector is missing out on the experiences, skills, and talents of much of half the human population, which severely constrains the sustainable energy transition. In addition to a larger skilled workforce, there are several advantages in bridging the gender gap within the energy sector. Gender disparities in the energy sector have been observed around the world. Women are less represented in policymaking, corporate leadership and governance, as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and in the labour workforce. These barriers are surmountable using a two-way complementary approach, which is simultaneously bottom-up - action by women and society to bridge the gap of gender inequality in the energy sector - and top-down - government and policymakers need to develop policy tools to encourage women's participation in the energy sector. This paper is summarising key findings from a report and empirical case studies of five United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) member States: Albania, Belarus, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan.

Gender equality and environmental goals are mutually reinforcing, with slow progress on environmental actions affecting the achievement of gender equality, and vice versa. Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires targeted and coherent actions.

This book examines energy transition issues within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. The European Union is aiming for an almost complete decarbonization of its energy sector by 2050. However, the path towards a carbon-free economy is full of challenges that must be solved by individual EU members. Across 18 chapters, leading researchers explore challenges related to energy transition and analyse individual EU members from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the region as a whole. To further explore this complex issue, the volume also includes several countries from South East Europe in its analysis. As perspective members, these countries will be important contributors to the EU’s mid- and long-term climate and energy goals. The focus on a variety of issues connected to energy transition and systematic analyses of the different CEE countries make it an ideal reference for anyone with a general interest in the region or European energy transition. It will also be a useful resource for students looking for an accessible overview of the field.