Energy Justice Policy: Theory, Practice and Experience of the Caspian Region

In recent decades, the strengthening of the international positions of Global South countries manifested itself, particularly in their growing willingness to question the justice of the existing world order. The energy transition agenda is not immune to this trend, with growing attention being paid to the structural imbalances of the existing energy system. In this context, the concept of ‘energy justice’ has gained currency in both political and academic discourses. The concept highlights the need to develop a global energy system that fairly distributes benefits and costs among actors and ensures representative and impartial participation of all countries in key decision-making. This article assesses the epistemological potential of this concept for studying interstate energy cooperation in a specific region. The Caspian region was chosen as a case study due to its crucial role in the modern energy architecture and a particularly complex interplay of interests between regional and external actors, exacerbating already acute contradictions between the imperatives of the energy transition and considerations of social-economic stability and environmental security. The first section of the article examines the development of the ‘energy justice’ concept, identifies its key dimensions (i.e., distributive, procedural, and recognition justice), and outlines the specifics of its application in studying energy production and consumption issues. In the second section, the author applies this concept to examine the energy policies of the Caspian states and their interaction mechanisms within the context of the global energy transition. The author emphasizes that the energy justice concept, while highlighting the common interests and interdependence of the Caspian states, can serve as a cover for promoting the commercial and geopolitical interests of Western financial institutions and governments. In this regard, the discourses of ‘energy justice’ and ‘just transition’ act not only as a normative framework but also as a tool of interstate political rivalry. In general, the energy justice conceptual framework highlights new important elements and aspects of energy cooperation among Caspian countries and, at the same time, shows that energy justice is not an abstract ideal but a necessary condition for sustainable development. The further dissemination and deepening of energy justice principles worldwide would make the global energy transition more inclusive and the energy sector a more humane and responsible sphere of human activity.