Informace o publikaci
Just Energy Transition: Legal Challenges Associated with Coal Phase Out
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2024 |
| Druh | Článek ve sborníku |
| Konference | Proceedings of the 118th ASIL Annual Meeting |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| www | Open access sborníku |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1017/amp.2023.69 |
| Klíčová slova | energy law; energy transition; coal; coal phase-out; climate change |
| Popis | The phasing out of coal constitutes one of the most debated aspects of the global energy transition. Although coal remains the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and a disproportionate source of greenhouse gas emissions, its centrality in electricity generation—particularly in developing countries—renders its elimination politically sensitive and economically challenging. This article situates the coal phase-out debate within the framework of international climate law, tracing the evolution from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to the Paris Agreement and the subsequent Glasgow Climate Pact, in which the proposed “phase out” of unabated coal was diluted to a “phase down.” It contrasts the European Union’s long-standing decarbonization strategy, underpinned by the Emissions Trading System and the Just Transition Mechanism, with the continuing reliance on coal in India and China, where coal remains indispensable to energy security and industrial development. The analysis argues that a coal phase-out cannot be conceived merely as a technical instrument of climate mitigation but must be embedded within the broader notion of a just energy transition, attentive to social, economic, and legal considerations. The absence of a comprehensive global legal framework governing energy transition underscores the significance of fragmented multilateral initiatives, such as the Just Energy Transition Partnership with South Africa. The article concludes that international law, despite its current limitations, has an essential role to play in structuring equitable and effective pathways toward climate neutrality, ensuring that transition policies are not only environmentally ambitious but also legally robust, politically viable, and socially just across diverse national contexts. |