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Way Forward


Way forward 1: 

Energy Democracy


As defined by Climate Justice Alliance, “Energy Democracy frames the international struggle of working people, low-income communities, Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Brown, and Indigenous nations and their communities to take control of energy resources from the energy establishment and use those resources to empower their communities literally (by providing energy), economically, and politically. It means bringing energy resources under public or community ownership and/or governance.”



Organizations leading the way in Energy Democracy: 

Climate Justice Alliance’s Energy Democracy working group (EnDEM)

The Our Power Plan: Charting a Path to Climate Justice - The plan urges federal and state decision-makers to assure that frontline environmental justice communities and workers be primary stakeholders in the implementation process of the Clean Power Plan


"Uprose" by 350.org is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 - 2017

UPROSE

Uprose works in the interest of a Just Transition, a move away from the extraction economy and towards climate solutions that put frontline communities in positions of leadership.
  • Sunset Park Solar is New York City’s first community solar project owned and operated by a cooperative for the benefit of local residents and businesses. It is a 685 kilowatt solar project that will be built on the Brooklyn Army Terminal rooftop.

Institute for Local Self-Reliance

ILSR provides technical assistance to communities about local solutions for sustainable community development in areas such as banking, broadband, energy, and waste through local purchasing.

ESKOM Research Reference Group: Achieving a Just Transition for South Africa.

  • Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED), and South Africa's National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA), Transnational Institute (TNI) and National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) are developing a road map to establish a new public electricity system based on a progressive energy transition and restructuring of Eskom, the South Africa’s state-owned power company.
  • What Is Energy Democracy? Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung



Instituto de Ecología Política (IEP) / Institute of Political Ecology (IPE) - Chile

IEP’s work has been carried out through education for sustainability, research, strengthening civil society, education and reporting campaigns, and legal actions in the defense of the environment and people; through the creation of strategic alliances and the development of public policies the right to live in a healthy environment can be guaranteed. 
  • Camino Solar: An initiative by IEP to promote citizen participation in the generation of photovoltaic energy, in order to contribute to the decentralization and democratization of the transition towards an energy model based on renewable energies. [Video]

Centre for Environment and Energy Development - India

CEED is a solution-driven organization that works towards creating inspiring solutions to maintain a healthy, clean and sustainable environment

More Resources on Energy Democracy


Books, Articles, and Reports  Campaigns & Manifestos: Websites: Videos and Webinars:




Way forward 2: 

Renewable Energy 


While renewable energy has been rapidly growing in popularity as the only viable alternative source of energy for a sustainable future, conversations around renewable energy tend to leave an impression that it can fully substitute our current reliance on fossil fuels. But that is neither possible (due to physical and technical obstacles of renewable energy production) nor sustainable (as producing renewable energy still requires non-renewable resources, such as minerals). A just and equitable energy transition for the people and the planet, requires us to think beyond the realm of industrial capitalism, as no “planet-friendly” energy system can sustain the current need for exponential growth. The implementation of and advocacy for renewable energy by organizations presented in this section goes in tandem with the principles of Energy Democracy highlighted in the first Solution.

Organizations & campaigns leading the way in Renewable Energy:

Sacred Earth Solar

Sacred Earth Solar empowers front line Indigenous communities in Canada with renewable energy.

Post Carbon Institute

Post Carbon Institute’s work in relation to Energy focuses on growing a collective understanding of our energy reality, and the need for both conservation and appropriate, community-centric renewable energy.





Green New Deal

The Green New Deal is a congressional resolution that lays out a grand plan for tackling climate change, calling for state- based solutions. While throughout each sector presented by Climate Resource Hub, we highly encourage to step away from state-based solution, due to complexity of the global energy network, some level of state intervention is required to not only leave fossil fuels in the ground and halt any further expansion, but also to lift up highly resource intensive alternative energy projects.


8th Fire Solar

8th Fire Solar is building a better future for our Native American communities by creating and assembling a sustainable and renewable energy product: solar thermal panels.




Solar Bear

Solar Bear is the only Native American owned full service solar installation company in the state of Minnesota that builds renewable energy projects for the future generations of Turtle Island and Mother Earth.

Kara Solar

Kara Solar is a solar-powered river transportation, energy, and community enterprise initiative in the Ecuadorian Amazon. This sort of initiative is important as it strengthens indigenous sovereignty and land rights, thereby funding these types of projects enhances the resiliency of the Amazonia rainforest and lowers dependency on fossil fuels in that region.

More Renewable Energy Resources: 


Books, Articles, and Reports Campaigns: Videos: