Malaysia’s path to energy justice

Wind turbines at Buckeye Wind Farm in Kansas, United States. More and more, questions are being asked about who benefits the most from the transition to clean energy, and who bears the cost. — AP

AS the world transitions towards clean and sustainable energy, two questions are increasingly being asked: Who benefits the most from the transition, and who bears the cost? Behind the feel-good images of solar farms or wind turbines there now exists concerns about issues of fairness, equity, and equality.

As a principle in highlighting the equitable distribution of energy's benefits and burdens, energy justice is emerging as a key element in discussions about the energy transition. It pushes us to widen our horizons beyond technology and economics and focus on placing the human aspect in the centre of our energy systems.