Coal transition and climate change
Coal transition and climate change are central to global debates on energy policy, sustainability and environmental justice. As countries seek to reduce carbon emissions and meet climate commitments, the shift away from coal raises complex questions about livelihoods, regional economies and social equity. This page explores the political, environmental and social dimensions of coal transition within broader frameworks of resource governance and development.
Project Overview
The aim of this project is to engage with coalfield communities in India to develop a replicable framework for a just transition that is participatory, bottom-up and socially inclusive.
This project examines coal-dependent regions in India and explores how communities imagine justice in the transition toward a fossil-fuel-free future. It focuses on participatory approaches that centre lived experience, local knowledge and inclusive dialogue. The research brings together workers, displaced communities, small farmers and informal labourers to understand how energy transition reshapes livelihoods and regional economies.
Coal Transition in India: Justice and Policy
India’s recent coal expansion creates urgent questions about the future of coalfield regions. The project investigates how coal-dependent communities interpret “just transition” and how policy frameworks can address structural inequalities. By analysing governance, environmental regulation and socio-economic transformation, the research highlights both the risks and possibilities embedded within climate transition strategies.
This work connects closely with related academic outputs available in the Publications section, where detailed articles and peer-reviewed research findings are presented.
Community Participation and Lived Experience
A central contribution of this research lies in documenting how different social groups experience the coal economy and its transformation. Mine workers, displaced Indigenous communities, informal coal scavengers and nearby agrarian populations face uneven impacts in the transition process. Through sustained field engagement and qualitative research, the project foregrounds local narratives that are often marginalised in national energy debates.
Connections between coal transition and artisanal and small-scale mining are further explored in the Informal Mining or ASM research stream.
Gender and Climate Vulnerability in Coal Regions
Coal transition intersects deeply with gendered labour structures and environmental vulnerability. Women in coal-affected landscapes frequently bear disproportionate social and economic burdens, while also acting as agents of resilience and adaptation. By situating gender within debates on sustainability, justice and development, this research expands conversations on climate transition beyond purely economic frameworks.
Related work on gendered labour and extractive economies can also be found under Women and Mining within the Research Interests section.