Emerging Frontiers of Energy Transition in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Energy transitions in the global South have evolved over time and space. Climate emergency has pushed countries towards renewables, and energy transitions have been part of the international political discourse coupled with climate commitments. Exploring the complex and diverse interactions between energy transitions and climate change mitigation is essential, especially to the global South, where on the one hand, it is seen as part of the development discourse and on the other as honouring the international climate commitments. There is a growing need to identify and analyse potential social and economic disruption arising from energy transition, taking into account policies and strategies to ensure equitable energy systems and minimise if not pre-empt disruption. Examining the patterns of the energy transition, dynamics of transition from a justice perspective in the overall socio-political and economic contexts will outline the emerging frontiers of the energy transition. This chapter looks at the challenges of escaping the carbon lock-in using an analytical framework where the interplay between agents and the nexus—climate commitments, energy security and justice—is analysed with the socio-politico-economic considerations to understand the trajectories of energy transitions. The framework brings fresh insights into understanding the carbon lock-out pathways in the global South context through the case study from Sri Lanka. It is argued that a holistic policy framework for energy transitions must incorporate democratic concerns from below to create pathways for just energy transition.