Radical energy justice: a Green Deal for Romanian coal miners?

Figures & data

Table 1. Energy justice paradigms: comparing the radical framing.

Energy justice	Radical energy justice
Description between empirical example and types of justice	Description between empirical example and types of justice
Identify structural cause(s) of injustice, including scale and spatial inequity	Identify the sources and construction of the energy system to create domination and leverage over social groups
Describe role of structures shaping perceptions of justice and injustice in society or lives	Identify role of (historical) institutions shaping perceptions of a just socially constructed energy system
Identify causes of injustice according to type of justice infringed;	Identify causes of injustice according to type of justice infringed; Describe whose interests served by injustice
Describe how justice can be served through implementing policies guided by specific justice concepts	Show how institutional and social practices within the energy system should change to enhance everyday life

Source: General description of paradigms taken from Burrell and Morgan (1979), Gioia and Pitre (1990); see also, LaBelle (2020).

Table 2. Paradigm differences of institutionalist and structuralist.

	Functionalist/institutionalist paradigm (energy justice)	Radical structuralist paradigm (radical energy justice)
Goals	To search for regularities and test in order to predict and control	To identify sources of domination and persuade in order to guide revolutionary practices (achieve freedom through revision of structures)
Theoretical concerns	Relationships; causation; generalization	Domination; alienation; macro forces; emancipation
Theory-building	Refinement through causal analysis	Liberation through structural analysis

Source: Modified from Gioia and Pitre (1990, p. 591).

Table 3. Comparison between two different energy justice paradigms.

Energy justice	Radical energy justice
Identify structural cause(s) of injustice, including scale and spatial inequity	Identify the sources and construction of the energy system to create domination and leverage over social groups
Post-Communist period economic collapse destroyed heavy industry and favored cost efficiency over employment opportunities; Shift from planned to capitalist focused economy; Top-down restructuring plans lacked bottom-up perspectives and solutions; Miners lacked local opportunities to transition to other employment; Carbon intensive industries squeezed from political and economic system	Communist system favored miners and heavy industry, also leaders used miners to suppress political dissent; Post-Communist period excluded coal miners in new energy system in favor of cleaner energy resources and technologies; Political and labor leaders operated on short-term benefits delivered in community redevelopment of infrastructure rather than labor opportunities.
Describe role of structures shaping perceptions of justice and injustice in society or lives	Identify role of (historical) institutions shaping perceptions of a just socially constructed energy system
Employment opportunities and quality of life in Jiu Valley are measured in statistics; Role of courts and political institutions to deliver justice in economic and social opportunities.	Identification of institutions as determining what is just or unjust but not how society interprets justice. Redevelopment projects exclude miners and necessitating NGO involvement to assist communities to create greater social opportunities for community redevelopment.
Identify causes of injustice according to type of justice infringed;	Identify causes of injustice according to type of justice infringed; Describe whose interests served by injustice; Exclusion framing of injustices highlight areas of conflict and power relations
Distributive justice: Access and affordability of power are dependent on household income. Injustice emerges from inability to access or afford (due to unemployment) energy services and a lack of state social support.Procedural justice: Legal justice system applied to problems and solutions: Lack of access to legal system, to re-training job programs, or ability to participate in meaningful dialogue over future economic development of region.Recognition justice: Neglect of miners in meaningful programs to participate in energy transition, or acknowledge how participation in fossil fuel energy system can transition towards ‘clean’ energy system.	Distributive justice: Policymakers exclude miners from meaningful re-training programs and perpetuate lack of employment opportunities in favor of spending money on other social groups infrastructure requests and support for training those with English skills and conforming with attributes of a ‘clean energy’ persona.Procedural justice: Policymakers exclude miners from decision making process in how reconversion funds are spent in favor of particular businesses or political interests. Lack of meaningful access to institutional decision making excludes social group from shaping energy and economic policies which can build on expertise and social network of miners.Recognition justice: Policymakers fail to include former miners in energy transition planning if a sector-based approach is taken; Money is prioritized to other interests and groups without acknowledging how to create employment opportunities for miners.
Describe how justice can be served through implementing policies guided by specific justice concepts	Show how institutional and social practices within the energy system should change to enhance everyday life
Recognizing employment of former miners as a right gives them access to state institutions and decision-making process along with social services assisting them to transition from producing fossil fuels to recognizing how they can contribute to building an energy system based on renewable energy – or move into fields supportive of sustainable development.	Identify ‘choke’ points where funding and decision making is leading to exclusion of miners’ interests. Revamp decision making process and be inclusive to identify needs to implement a sustainable energy system and economy. Recognize how individuals – as miners – can add to building a sustainable energy system and economy.

Source: General description of paradigms taken from Burrell and Morgan (1979), Gioia and Pitre (1990); see also, LaBelle (2020). The contrast identifies application of justice labels or how structure is exposed thereby who is responsible for injustices.

Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (1979). Sociological paradigms and organisational analysis: Elements of the sociology of corporate life. Pearson Education.

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Gioia, D. A., & Pitre, E. (1990). Multiparadigm perspectives on theory building. Academy of Management Review, 15(4), 584–602. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1990.4310758

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LaBelle, M. (2020). Energy cultures: Technology, justice, and geopolitics in Eastern Europe. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/catalog/product/view/id/16734/s/energy-cultures-9781788975759/

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