So­ci­et­al Chal­lenges for a Green Trans­ition

Course content

The green transition is advancing and global decarbonization efforts are set to transform business, societies and economies across the world. All forms of greening economies and decarbonization interventions have societal implications, and can create winners and losers in a world that is already socio-economically deeply unequal.

In this course, we will explore what are the major goals for a green transition and what are the variety of societal implications from transition pathways and related project implementation. We will explore the social challenges and implications of moving business and societies away from the use of fossil fuels toward use of low carbon energy sources and services, the social impacts of adapting new green technologies and those related to achieving a just and equitable transition.

Different analytical perspectives and examples will be introduced to understand societal challenges of green transitions in different business and societies. In high-income societies that are already enjoying green modern energy services, social challenges for equitable transition poses questions such as: how can new technologies and deployment of low carbon services facilitate maintenance of high standard of living with affordable services. For low-income societies and regions, the social challenges of a green transition presents a different set of questions, such as: how can communities gain access to modern, clean, affordable and reliable services and sources of clean energy, and how a green transition can support job creation and provision of reliable services for industrial development.

All together, advancing a socially equitable and green transition involves engaging with trade-offs in decision-making. Corporations and civil society can be on different sides of a decision, for example, regarding use of land and resources available in territories with high environmental value or inhabited by Indigenous communities, where most of the critical minerals needed for key low-carbon technologies are located. Among businesses, decision-makers and investors seeking ways for attending to meet both Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement Climate Goals there is increasing recognition of the need to understand how green transition projects impact communities where they are siting their interventions.

The class will allow students to work in exploring a variety of country, local and regional case studies to understand how specific context social group conditions can determine the impacts and the potential procedural, distributional and restorative components of justice outcomes of green low carbon interventions.advanced by business and societal actors.

The course consists of three modules.

The first module covers global- international perspectives and scholarly and policy debates about the social, environmental,  economic and developmental challenges of the green transition. This will include exploring different approaches to questions about, moving economies away from carbon sources, questions of access and availability of critical materials and natural resources necessary for the green transition, this module will consider emerging issues in matching green transition and sustainable  development objectives

The second module covers examples at the level of sectors and business approaches, the role of corporations, commodities, and a focus on case studies. Drawing attention to what are opportunities and pathways for  green and low carbon transition are been created and the type of societal challenges that can be identified. The session will consider examples from different geographical and socio-economic areas in different continents to highlight disparities, advances and challenges across the globe.

The last module will turns the queston to individual and collective and civil societal efforts and low carbon practices, and it will consider the extent to which green transition can create alternative social and economic opportunities to improve equity and justice in development practices and investment models. It discusses the challenges to make green transition inclusive and sustainable and the necessary work ahead to meet the aspiration of a green transition that leaves no one behind.

In relation to Nordic Nine

The Societal Challenges for a Green Transition course supports the Nordic Nine capabilities by teaching analytical approaches to understand humanity’s challenges, climate change specifically, and how they may be resolved (NN3).

The course provides the means to explain the elements of equity and justice, socio-technological, and politico-economical structures that replicate prosperity and inequality over generations (NN7).

The stress in the course on climate-vulnerable and climate-forcing assets also helps students examine how business and local communities create value from global connections (NN9).