Energy Justice and Community-Led Transitions: Empowering Marginalized Communities - A Focus on Ewoyaa Lithium Mining Community in Ghana
Keywords:
Energy Justice, Energy Transition, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Extractive CommunitiesAbstract
Introduction: Energy justice is a framework that seeks to address the social, environmental, and economic inequalities that often arise in the context of energy production, distribution, and consumption. With the global surge in demand for lithium due to its critical role in renewable energy technologies, including electric vehicles and battery storage, there is growing concern about the impacts on local communities, especially those in resource-rich but marginalized areas. This paper explores the concept of energy justice in relation to community-led transitions, focusing on the Ewoyaa lithium mining community in Ghana.
Methods: This paper critically examines the dynamics of energy justice in the Ewoyaa lithium extractive community, drawing on case studies of community-led energy transitions. It evaluates the role of inclusive decision-making, fair distribution of benefits, and sustainable practices within the context of lithium mining and the broader energy transition.
Results: The analysis reveals the potential for empowering marginalized communities through the integration of local stakeholders in the decision-making process and by ensuring the fair distribution of benefits from energy resources. Additionally, it identifies the sustainable practices necessary for minimizing the negative impacts of lithium mining on the community and the environment.
Discussion: The paper critiques the contemporary energy justice literature, proposing a model for integrating local communities into the energy transition process. This model emphasizes the importance of inclusive governance structures and sustainable practices to ensure equitable outcomes for communities affected by resource extraction, particularly in marginalized areas like the Ewoyaa community.
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