Assessing the gender and social equity dimensions of energy transitions

The report finds that low-carbon energy transitions do not automatically improve social equity and can replicate existing structural inequalities if power asymmetries are not addressed. While some technologies like household solar provide benefits, others—particularly large-scale hydropower and biofuel plantations—often lead to land loss, displacement, and precarious employment. The authors argue that institutional frameworks and participatory processes, rather than the technology itself, determine whether a transition is just.

• Renewable energy projects do not inherently ensure gender or social equity because they do not automatically address the structural socio-cultural and socio-economic dynamics of the context. Without early intervention, existing power asymmetries regarding resource distribution and access are likely to be replicated in new energy regimes.
• The most frequently documented positive impacts of energy transitions are economic, specifically poverty alleviation and energy self-sufficiency, which are mentioned in 46% of the reviewed literature. Conversely, land loss and displacement are dominant negative impacts, cited in 27% of the literature.
• Energy transitions often shift rather than eliminate gender inequalities. While modern household electricity and solar lanterns can reduce workloads for women (e.g., cooking and firewood collection), evidence suggests this labour is often simply transferred to other domains, such as livestock care, leaving gendered divisions of labour entrenched.
• Biofuel plantations often present a 'double-edged' impact on employment. While they may create initial jobs, these positions are frequently precarious due to unfair land allocation and plantation structures where smallholders receive unequal shares. Long-term land loss can further constrain livelihood options.
• Large-scale renewable projects, including hydropower, mega solar, and wind power, frequently result in the loss of land and livelihood for indigenous and marginalized communities. This is described as echoing 'colonial rationalities' where community interests are sacrificed for broader environmental or market gains.
• Financial barriers, such as high start-up costs and subscription fees for solar technology, can deepen wealth gaps. Poorer families may be excluded from the benefits of electrification or trapped in debt, while wealthier households use the technology to further improve education and health outcomes.
• The report concludes that the outcome of an energy transition is determined by institutions and governance rather than the technology itself. Top-down governance in marginalized communities often constrains local decision-making and ownership.

APA

Johnson, O. W., Han, J. Y.-C., Knight, A.-L., Mortensen, S., Aung, M. T., Boyland, M., & Resurrección, B. P. (2020). Assessing the gender and social equity dimensions of energy transitions. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/assessing-the-gender-and-social-equity-dimensions-of-energy-transitions-2020.pdf

Chicago

Johnson, Oliver W., Jenny Yi-Chen Han, Anne-Louise Knight, Sofie Mortensen, May Thazin Aung, Michael Boyland, and Bernadette P. Resurrección. Assessing the gender and social equity dimensions of energy transitions. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2020. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/assessing-the-gender-and-social-equity-dimensions-of-energy-transitions-2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Johnson |first1=Oliver W. |last2=Han |first2=Jenny Yi-Chen |last3=Knight |first3=Anne-Louise |last4=Mortensen |first4=Sofie |last5=Aung |first5=May Thazin |last6=Boyland |first6=Michael |last7=Resurrección |first7=Bernadette P. |title=Assessing the gender and social equity dimensions of energy transitions |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=March 2020 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/assessing-the-gender-and-social-equity-dimensions-of-energy-transitions-2020.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{johnson2020assessing, author = {Johnson, Oliver W. and Han, Jenny Yi-Chen and Knight, Anne-Louise and Mortensen, Sofie and Aung, May Thazin and Boyland, Michael and Resurrección, Bernadette P.}, title = {{Assessing the gender and social equity dimensions of energy transitions}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/assessing-the-gender-and-social-equity-dimensions-of-energy-transitions-2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }