The Barcelona School of Ecological Economics and Political Ecology : Building Bridges Between Moving Shores

This chapter aims to give an overarching vision of the plural epistemological basis of the Barcelona school of ecological economics and political ecology, as well as to provide examples of the cross-fertilization between disciplines, methods and approaches that we think constitute one of the main contributions of the School. The chapter identifies the main bonding elements of the scholars that belong to the School, briefly explains the diverse core concepts and methods on which the School relies, and elaborates on how the interaction between them have resulted in an original and relevant research program during the past 30 years

India’s new coal geography: Coastal transformations, imported fuel and state-business collaboration in the transition to more fossil fuel energy

The advance of renewable energy around the world has kindled hopes that coal-based energy is on the way out. Recent data, however, make it clear that growing coal consumption in India coupled with its continued use in China keeps coal-based energy at 40 percent of the world’s heat and power generation. To address the consolidation of coal-based power in India, this article analyses an energy transition to, rather than away from, carbon-intensive energy over the past two decades. We term this transition India’s new coal geography; the new coal geography comprises new ports and thermal power plants run by private-sector actors along the coastline and fuelled by imported coal. This geography runs parallel to, yet is distinct from, India’s ‘old’ coal geography, which was based on domestic public-sector coal mining and thermal power generation. We understand the development of coastal thermal power as an outcome of long-term electrical energy shortages and significant public controversy within the old coal geography. By analysing the making of the new coal geography at a national level, and scrutinizing its localised manifestation and impact through a case study of Goa state, we outline the significant infrastructural investment and policy work of a dispersed network of public- and private-sector actors that slowly enabled this new coal energy avatar. We argue that the enormous effort to establish India’s new coal geography further entrenches the country’s reliance on coal. The result is that for India, energy security is a choice between domestic and imported coal

Environmental justice movements in India : an analysis of the multiple manifestations of violence

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552With each passing year, defending land and water, livelihoods and cultures appears to become more violent. Against the alarming number of murders of environmental activists or environmental defenders, which is the easiest way to recognize violence, this article aims to analyse other visible and invisible ways in which violence is manifested. Using a multidimensional approach and referring to case studies from the EJAtlas and other sources, it looks at the multiple manifestations of violence. It concludes that a south-south collaboration in academic-activist coproduced research on environmental justice movements would shed light on realities which often escape mainstream ecological economics and political ecology

Mining coal while digging for justice : Investigating justice claims against a coal-phase out in five countries

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MCoal has long been one of the fossil fuels underpinning the energy systems of many countries around the world. Because of its long-standing history, many actors have an interest in retaining the status quo. In this article, we explore the complexities of a coal phase-out in different countries. Drawing on empirical material from Germany, India, Mexico, Serbia and South Africa, we look at the way coal is represented in public debate. We do so by analysing the respective political arguments of key actors about coal phase-out in the chosen countries and analyse their inherent justice claims. Our research illustrates how state institutions, fossil fuel companies and other actors have contributed to framing coal as a formative factor of social relations and as an asset for development. Further, we find that there is considerable overlap of justice claims between global North and global South countries, even though actors from global South countries also invoke global inequalities and historical climate debt. Basedon our results, we argue that policymakers must (a) critically interrogate justice claims and (b) consider injustices created by the status quo to ensure a Just Transition

Environmental conflicts and defenders: A global overview

Recent research and policies recognize the importance of environmental defenders for global sustainability and emphasize their need for protection against violence and repression. However, effective support may benefit from a more systematic understanding of the underlying environmental conflicts, as well as from better knowledge on the factors that enable environmental defenders to mobilize successfully. We have created the global Environmental Justice Atlas to address this knowledge gap. Here we present a large-n analysis of 2743 cases that sheds light on the characteristics of environmental conflicts and the environmental defenders involved, as well as on successful mobilization strategies. We find that bottom-up mobilizations for more sustainable and socially just uses of the environment occur worldwide across all income groups, testifying to the global existence of various forms of grassroots environmentalism as a promising force for sustainability. Environmental defenders are frequently members of vulnerable groups who employ largely non-violent protest forms. In 11% of cases globally, they contributed to halt environmentally destructive and socially conflictive projects, defending the environment and livelihoods. Combining strategies of preventive mobilization, protest diversification and litigation can increase this success rate significantly to up to 27%. However, defenders face globally also high rates of criminalization (20% of cases), physical violence (18%), and assassinations (13%), which significantly increase when Indigenous people are involved. Our results call for targeted actions to enhance the conditions enabling successful mobilizations, and for specific support for Indigenous environmental defenders

The “Greening” of Empire: The European Green Deal as the EU first agenda

The recent past has seen the proposal of multiple ‘Green New Deals’ across geographies as a means to fight against the climate crisis and ecological breakdown. Of these, the European Green Deal- EGD represents the world's first public commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Because the EGD plans to “transform the EU,” in this paper we examine how it fits within a historical continuum of colonial and neo-colonial relations. We argue that the EGD is the latest discursive strategy for the ‘greening' of empire through four registers: (1) turning ecological crises into profitable opportunities; (2) portraying the EU as a ‘moral’ intervener; (3) building on a ‘green' “will to improve”; and (4) securitizing and consolidating the empire. We find how the EU acts in key policy arenas of diplomacy, trade and investment leading to the ‘greening' of the empire that ensures its continued economic and political leadership while fundamentally maintaining a status quo. We conclude with some reflections on the role of the EU to cede place to other possibilities of building anti-colonial ecologies

Global impacts of extractive and industrial development projects on Indigenous Peoples' lifeways, lands, and rights

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MTo what extent do extractive and industrial development pressures affect Indigenous Peoples' lifeways, lands, and rights globally? We analyze 3081 environmental conflicts over development projects to quantify Indigenous Peoples' exposure to 11 reported social-environmental impacts jeopardizing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples are affected in at least 34% of all documented environmental conflicts worldwide. More than three-fourths of these conflicts are caused by mining, fossil fuels, dam projects, and the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and livestock (AFFL) sector. Landscape loss (56% of cases), livelihood loss (52%), and land dispossession (50%) are reported to occur globally most often and are significantly more frequent in the AFFL sector. The resulting burdens jeopardize Indigenous rights and impede the realization of global environmental justice

Los conflictos ecológico-distributivos en la India a vista de pájaro

Este artículo da una perspectiva general de los movimientos de justicia ambiental en la India, a partir de una combinación de las informaciones del Atlas de Justicia Ambiental (EJAtlas), el trabajo de campo y un análisis de literatura secundaria. Destaco sobre todo la intensidad de los conflictos, las armas judiciales que dan más fuerza a las protestas y el cambio de los eslóganes con el tiempo, así como las sinergias y alianzas antiguas y actuales entre esos movimientos indios. Para avanzar en su estudio, uso estadística descriptiva y doy algunos ejemplos concretos. Para acabar, ofrezco una discusión acerca del significado del término éxito aplicado a la justicia ambiental y señalo áreas para investigaciones posteriores

Koyla Kahini. The Political Ecology of Coal in India

Aquesta tesi contribueix a examinar com i per què el carbó continua dominant la matriu energètica mundial, malgrat les velles i noves preocupacions socioecològiques i com i per què es posa en dubte, utilitzant narratives de justícia ambiental i climàtica. Tot i que el carbó continua regnant en la matriu energètica mundial, els patrons del comerç mundial de carbó estan canviant. L'Índia està preparada per jugar un paper de lideratge en un futur pròxim, ja que la producció, el consum i el comerç de carbó engloben noves geografies al sud global. Al mateix temps, l'Índia també lidera la transició cap a les energies renovables a nivell mundial. Primer exploro aquesta paradoxa mirant els patrons metabòlics socials i els factors d'ecologia política i argumento que la transició energètica es dirigeix, en realitat, cap a més carbó tot i una retòrica dominada per les renovables. A continuació, exploro com això s'està facilitant amb la creació d'una nova geografia costanera, en paral·lel a les antigues geografies del carbó. Tot seguit, exploro com s'està qüestionant aquesta pujada del carbó i com s'estan configurant les protestes en regions amb poblacions marginades amb desigualtats preexistents. Defenso la necessitat d'una justícia ambiental decolonial per esbrinar com interactuen les múltiples formes de violència i perpetuen les injustícies ambientals mitjançant el que anomeno violència processal. Finalment, examino les múltiples maneres com les protestes contra el carbó de tot el món que fan servir una narrativa de justícia climàtica estan connectades. Exploro 61 casos de resistència i esbosso tres grans tipus de classificacions sobre les connexions. Defenso la necessitat de moviments decolonials per la justícia climàtica que s'adhereixin a les preocupacions locals i que no impulsin una narrativa global de dalt a baix, proporcionant dos exemples de l'Índia en què aquest enfocament perjudica més que beneficia a un moviment. La tesi es basa en un enfocament de mètodes mixts, que se centra en la investigació transdisciplinària i coproduïda, i mobilitza conceptes de les tres disciplines interconnectades de l'ecologia política, la justícia ambiental i l'economia ecològica.Esta tesis contribuye a examinar cómo y por qué el carbón continúa dominando la oferta energética global a pesar de las viejas y nuevas preocupaciones socio-ecológicas y cómo y por qué se cuestiona, utilizando narrativas ambientales y de justicia climática. Aunque el carbón sigue reinando en la cesta energética mundial, los patrones del comercio mundial de carbón están cambiando. India va a desempeñar un papel destacado en un futuro cercano a medida que la producción, el consumo y el comercio de carbón abarcan nuevas geografías en el Sur Global. Al mismo tiempo, paradójicamente, India también lidera la transición hacia las energías renovables a nivel mundial. Primero exploro esta paradoja estudiando los patrones metabólicos sociales y los factores ecológico-políticos. Sostengo que la transición energética es, de hecho, hacia más carbón a pesar de la retórica de las energías renovables. Luego estudio cómo esto se está facilitando con la creación de una nueva geografía costera, en paralelo a las geografías más antiguas del carbón. A continuación, analizo cómo se está impugnando este aumento del carbón y cómo se están configurando las protestas en regiones con poblaciones marginadas con desigualdades preexistentes. Abogo por la necesidad de justicia ambiental decolonial para desentrañar cómo interactúan las múltiples formas de violencia y se perpetúan las injusticias ambientales mediante lo que denomino violencia procesal. Finalmente, examino las múltiples formas en que se encuentran conectadas las protestas contra el carbón de todo el mundo que emplean una narrativa de justicia climática. Analizo 61 casos de resistencia y trazo tres tipos amplios de clasificaciones sobre las conexiones. Argumento que los movimientos decoloniales por la justicia climática deben apegarse a las preocupaciones locales en vez de imponer desde arriba una narrativa global, mostrando dos ejemplos de la India donde tal enfoque global hace más daño que bien al movimiento. La tesis se basa pues en métodos mixtos, está centrada en la investigación transdisciplinaria y coproducida movilizando conceptos de tres disciplinas interconectadas: ecología política, justicia ambiental y economía ecológica.This thesis contributes to examining how and why coal continues to dominate global energy mix despite old and new socio-ecological concerns and how and why is it contested, using environment and climate justice narratives. Although coal continues to reign in the global energy mix, the patterns of global coal trade are shifting. India is primed to play a leading role in the near future as coal production, consumption and trade encompasses new geographies in the Global South. At the same time, India is also leading the transition towards renewables globally. I first explore this paradox by looking at social metabolic patterns and political ecological factors and argue that the energy transition is in-fact towards more coal despite a renewables-led rhetoric. I then explore how this is being facilitated with the creation of a new coastal geography, in parallel to the older coal geographies. This is followed by an exploration of how this rise in coal is being contested, and how are the protests being shaped in regions with marginalized populations with pre-existing inequalities. I argue for the need of decolonial environmental justice scholarship to unpack how the multiple forms of violence interact and perpetuate environmental injustices by what I term procedural violence. Finally, I examine the multiple ways in which coal protests from across the world which employ a climate justice narrative are connected. I explore 61 cases of resistance and draw three broad types of classifications about the connections. I argue for the need of decolonial climate justice movements which adheres to local concerns and doesn't push for a global top-down narrative, by providing two examples from India where such approach does more harm than good to a movement. The thesis is based on a mixed-methods approach, focusing on transdisciplinary, co-produced research, and mobilizes concepts from the three interconnected disciplines of political ecology, environmental justice and ecological economics.Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Ciència i Tecnologia Ambiental