Braz. political sci. rev.2024;18(3):e0008.
The Political Economies of Energy Transition in Brazil and South Africa: Driving Causes and Political Effects
DOI: 10.1590/1981-3821202400030008
The ongoing global climate emergency has sparked renewed interest in transitioning away from carbon-based economies towards renewable energy sources. While there exists a growing body of literature exploring the conditions, incentives, and processes of adopting solar and wind power worldwide, most of this research primarily focuses on advanced industrialized nations and China, with still considerably less studies on other developing countries. Kathryn Hochstetler’s latest book (2021), ‘Political economies of energy transition: wind and solar power in Brazil and South Africa’ is, thus, a much welcome and noteworthy exception.
The book is structured into six chapters, with Chapter 01 providing a general introduction to the topic and outlining the research design. Hochstetler (2021) acknowledges that the reasons and opportunities for developing countries to adopt solar and wind power can differ significantly from those of industrialized early adopters such as Denmark, Germany, and the USA. By focusing on middle-income, unequal societies such as Brazil and South Africa, she posits that we may be able to gain a clearer understanding of the disputes and coalitions that emerge around what she calls the political economies of energy transition. Both Brazil and South Africa share similar structural characteristics: they are multi-ethnic democracies with significant industrial
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