Energy sovereignity – Daniela Del Bene (ICTA-UAB)

Tuesday 12th July, 12.00-13.30, Cerbère

Facing an unsustainable and undemocratic energy system, many voices protest against energy infrastructure, extraction of materials, polluting technology while at the same time advocate for an energy transition towards renewable energy, energy efficiency and absolute energy savings. Concepts like “Energy Justice”, “Energy Democrcy”, and now increasingly “Energy Sovereignty” (ES) appear to be terms from which to stand, act and think about an energy transition. As defined by many NGOs, social movements and Environmental Justice Organizations (EJOs), ES is the ability of a political community to control, regulate and manage their own energy.  This session proposes a brief historical and political trajectory of these terms, and invites you to envision our sovereignty over the forms of energies in our territories. What does such sovereignty means? What aspects will it involve? What are the subjects of such sovereignty? We’ll explore what alliances are desirable and possible, what might be problematic and what common discourses we can contribute to build between social collectives, like (organized) workers, electricity users, urban residents, rural residents, etc.

 

Background reading material:

Energy sovereignty: politicising an energy transition, by Pere Ariza-Montobbio; http://www.ejolt.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/EJOLT-6.79-84.pdf