Democracy and global energy transitions

Workshop with CJRC: Democracy and global energy transitions: confronting the political organisation of the hydrocarbon sector.

The concentrated power and influence of the trans-national hydrocarbon fuel industry has long been organised to constrain the capacity of democracies to respond to the climate emergency and to end the fossil-fuel era. This workshop brings together researchers working with the Climate Justice Research Centre and civil society organisations, to analyse how the fossil fuel sector has sought to shape Australia’s energy and climate change policies, and thereby to prevent decarbonisation. Identifying barriers to and opportunities for achieving a post-carbon energy future, we aim to produce new strategic insights into how the democratic response of citizens to accelerating climate change may be strengthened. Through this project, the CJRC seeks to collaborate with civil society partners to create a range of publicly-available research tools, both to expose the strategies of fossil fuel corporates, and to seek ways to overcome them.

Draft Program

Wednesday 23 October 2019: Seminar

6.00-7.30pm The international political organisation of the fossil fuel sector via the neoliberal think-tank network. Dieter Plehwe (WZB Berlin Social Science Centre) + Robert Leeson (U of Notre Dame, WA) + Jeremy Walker (UTS) + Freya Newman (Lobby Watch/Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility)

8.00-9.30 Dinner/Drinks: Venue TBA.

Thursday 24 October 2019 : Workshop

9.30-10.30am Introducing the Corporate Mapping Project (Canada): Bill Carroll (U of Victoria, Ca). + Introducing the Democracy and the Hydrocarbon Sector in Australia Project: James Goodman (UTS)

10.30-11.30 Nationalisation of fossil assets as a strategy for and against decarbonisation: Kyla Tienhaara (Queen’s University, Ca.) + Jeremy Walker (UTS) + Natasha Heenan (GND Sydney) + Ed Miller (GetUp)

11.30-12.30pm Challenging ‘social licence’ for fossil fuels: Kristen Lyons (UQ) + Heidi Norman (UTS) + Adam Walters tbc (Energy and Resources Insights) + Dan Gocher (Australian Centre for Corporate Responsibility)

12.30-1.30 Lunch Break

1.30-230 Fossil finances and revenues: Roman Lanis and Thulaisi Sivapalan (UTS) (UTS) + Mark Zirnsak (Tax Justice Network), David Barnden (Equity Generation Lawyers) 

2.30-3.30 Media campaigns and fossil fuel PR. Tom Morton (UTS) Stephen Long (ABC Four Corners), Vaidehi Shah (Climate Media Centre, Climate Council) 

3.30-4.30 Limiting transparency and democratic space. Maureen Henninger (UTS), Georgia Miller (Sunrise) + Jolene Elberth and Annica Schoo (ACF)

Participation in person or by Zoom 

Further Info: james.goodman@uts.edu.au

Pic: BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine, Hunter Valley (A. Lin).

Please register here

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/workshop-democracy-and-global-energy-transitions-tickets-73914003775

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Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.