Social dimensions of the German energy transition : on the issue of social justice in a ‘technological’ transformation process

Abstract: The energy transition is the showcase project of sustainable development in Germany but often neglects the social dimension that comes along with the technological transformation. In this thesis, I elaborate on the questions of how the energy transition can become socially just but also to what extent it can be perceived as a puzzle piece of a greater transformation. To live up to my demand for inclusive methods of public participation, I carried out a future creating workshop in a rural district in Southern Germany and conceptualized both the participants’ critique and the visions on what a socially just energy transition could look like. By combining the local knowledge with theoretical knowledge from the commons discourse, my findings suggest that the energy transition can hardly become socially just in the dominating economic, political and societal system as such. However, it offers possibilities for social justice by redirecting the emphasis on co-operation in governing the commons and can consequently contribute to a paradigm shift that supports democracy with strong cooperating citizens and social justice.