Just Transitions : Gender and Power in India?s Climate Politics

This book turns critical feminist scrutiny on national climate policies in India and examines what transition might really mean for marginalized groups in the country.

A vision of “just transitions” is increasingly being used by activists and groups to ensure that pathways towards sustainable futures are equitable and inclusive. Exploring this concept, this volume provides a feminist study of what it would take to ensure just transitions in India where gender, in relation to its interesting dimensions of power, is at the centre of analysis. With case studies on climate mitigation and adaptation from different parts of India, the book brings together academics, practitioners and policymakers who provide commentary on sectors including agriculture, forestry and renewables. Overall, the book has relevance far beyond India’s borders, as India’s attempt to deal with its diverse population makes it a key litmus test for countries seeking to transition against a backdrop of inequality both in the Global North and South.

This volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate policy, gender studies, sustainable development and development studies more broadly.

Seema Arora-Jonsson is Professor in Rural Development at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. She works with feminist thinking and questions of sustainability and justice in environmental governance, climate politics and rural development both in the Global South and Global North.

Kavya Michael is an environmental- social scientist at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. Her research broadly examines environmental change and energy- related issues through a human rights and justice lens. She studies the multiple intersections of climate change, urban- inequality, informality, and inter and intra- regional migration with a focus on the Global South.

Manish Kumar Shrivastava is a senior fellow at the Earth Sciences and Climate Change Division, TERI. His current research explores low-carbon transition in India from the perspectives of MSMEs, finance, gender justice, role of sub- national and non- state actors, and relevance of frugality in technological choices and governance for sustainability.