Towards a Fossil-free Future: Governance Challenges and Opportunities for Leaving Fossil Fuels Underground
Organized by Research Centre Amsterdam
Rapidly phasing out fossil fuels, as is needed to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, will require radical transformation of major stakeholders in the fossil fuel empire, including among others, oil and gas companies, governments, and investors. Doing so in a way which accounts for the many justice implications of climate change will require rethinking and challenging many of the principles and institutions which govern these actors. Working towards a just transition poses many challenges and uncertainties (fairly distributing the losses associated with a fossil fuel phase out, implementing a just transition for workers, ensuring access to the needed finance, among others). Yet, the institutions and policies currently guiding the energy transition are often unsuited to meeting these challenges. In this panel, we examine the norms, regulations, and institutions which govern and guide the fossil fuel sector and its stakeholders, the ways in which these policies hinder a just phase-out, and ask, what changes or disruptions are needed to enable an equitable and rapid transition away from fossil fuels?
