A Posthumanist Social Approach to Energy Transition

The energy sector worldwide is continuously growing to provide sustainable energy solutions employing renewable energy resources. This transition has benefits such as reduced emissions from traditional fossil fuel power plants and economic and technological opportunities. Low-carbon energy projects’ financial and environmental sustainability based on resources such as wind and solar systems are carefully assessed. However, these energy projects usually need more assessment of the social impacts that may lead to social energy injustice. Therefore, there is a need for a social life cycle assessment to determine the potential social effects on local communities where these projects are implemented. This assessment will rely on developing consciousness and concern for social justice issues related to energy engineering, starting from the engineering education phase, to help build a provision for a just, sustainable, and inclusive energy transition. For this aim, this paper will review the relationship between energy engineering and social justice and investigate a sustainable design approach based on critical post-humanism principles that consider the conflicts and contestations between social justice and energy transition.