Women Energy Citizenship in Net-Zero Target

Energy citizenship, a concept that frames individuals and communities as active participants in energy transitions, has gained significant attention as a critical element in achieving sustainable and just energy systems. This paper builds on energy citizenship scholarship and explores women’s energy citizenship as a multidimensional and evolving phenomenon. It analyses current trends in energy research, focusing on the intersection of energy transition, justice, climate action, and environmental awareness, particularly within European contexts.

The main aim of this study is to discuss the role of women in energy transitions and their contribution to achieving net-zero goals through the lens of “energy citizenship.” Drawing on my recent empirical research, including 1) case study of women’s perception of the decarbonisation process in the mining region in Poland (Silesia), (2) the hydrogen technologies narratives and opinions on green hydrogen, and (3) the survey on the attitudes towards the Green Deal and energy transition (2024), I examine the strategies adopted by women and their perceptions of rights, responsibilities, and motivations in response to climate change.

Through interviews with active women in mining communities, supplemented by surveys and focus group interviews (FGIs), I analyze gendered perceptions of coal, renewables, new technologies adoption, and energy transition in general. By applying the frameworks of energy citizenship, energy justice, and knowledge–power relations, I explore how women and men perceive and respond to the evolving energy system of post-petromodern era.