Governing Energy Transitions: Unconventional Gas, Renewables and their Environmental Nexus

Abstract

Achieving a radical and swift transition to low carbon renewable energy is a pressing global challenge. Yet, energy transitions continue to confront numerous obstacles. Dominant private and public players persistently slow or block change. Controversial hydrocarbon bridging fuels, like unconventional gas, also continue to expand in the name of energy reliability and affordability. And even where renewable developments shift from being niche to mainstream power sources, concerns are increasingly raised about their impacts on the environment, biodiversity, food and water. At the heart of all these issues are law and governance, which have been intense sites of contestation over the nature and outcomes of regulating energy transitions. This Special Issue brings together leading environmental law scholars to take a hard look at key energy experiences in Australia and globally, and to map out how to use law and governance to achieve swift and more environmentally sustainable energy transitions. This article sets the scene for the Special Issue by outlining some core challenges for energy transitions, before laying out two key questions explored in the subsequent nine articles, namely: what has been the role of law in governing energy transitions; and what law and governance mechanisms might be needed to better govern energy transitions and their nexus with the environment? The article concludes by summarising and synthesising responses to these questions.

Keywords: Energy Transitions, Energy Governance, Water-Energy-Food Nexus