Justice and the Clean Energy Transition to 2080: Exploring Lessons from Jordan

Abstract Expanding clean energy does not settle the politics of transition. It leaves open who benefits, who bears the costs, and who can shape consequential decisions. In Jordan, renewable expansion unfolds amid energy import dependence, fiscal constraints, reliance on external finance, concentrated electricity governance, and severe water scarcity. This article systematically reviews 111 publications on Jordan’s energy and climate transition from 1988 to 2026, organizes them into six empirical pillars, and assesses distributive, procedural, and recognition justice using predefined evidence criteria. The synthesis identifies recurring barriers to benefiting from the transition, fragmented governance with uneven decision authority, the allocation of financial risks through market and contractual rules, and external dependence. Even where policies or technologies are formally available, income, housing, tenure, and location affect households’ ability to benefit. Participation does not necessarily confer equivalent influence, and external resources can expand transition capacity while shaping bargaining and policy choices. Water-energy interdependence is well documented, but its consequences for affected groups are less consistently assessed. Among the publications, 87 recommend policies or other measures, 52 report or evaluate measures or enabling conditions, and only 28 do both, limiting conclusions about which interventions work. Three propositions concerning distribution, political authority, and institutional revision follow from these findings. Their relevance beyond Jordan merits testing where similar pressures recur. The article treats 2080 as an institutional stress-test horizon, asking whether governing arrangements remain capable in such a timeframe of recognizing shifting burdens, of subjecting consequential choices to scrutiny, and of revisiting commitments as conditions change.