Implications of Green Technologies for Environmental Justice

Abstract

There are large disparities in access to green technologies between countries and among different demographic groups within countries. Unless carefully managed, the energy transition risks exacerbating some of these inequalities, for example, by burdening those who are excluded from efficient new technologies with the costs of maintaining legacy infrastructure. The energy transition will create new interdependencies between sectors—for example, between buildings, the power sector, and transportation—requiring integrated design of policies and infrastructure in different sectors. The equitable adoption of new technologies is contingent on broadening access to enabling technologies such as the Internet and payment systems. Decision-makers must focus on new technologies that remove disparities in access to services but do not replicate current inefficiencies in providing those services (e.g., equitable access to mobility—not only to motorized personal vehicles). Data at higher resolutions and with broader coverage are needed to design equitable technology deployment strategies and evaluate their success.