Skip to content

The exhibition

Just Energy Transition Experiences
(TEJ)

What is it and what are the objectives of this virtual exhibition?

The Virtual Exhibition of Community Experiences in Just Energy Transition (TEJ) showcases initiatives and practices in alternative energy developed by social, urban and rural organizations in Latin America. The proposal, which began in 2020, has achieved two successful calls for proposals, in which it is evident how communities are making progress in generating alternatives to remain in their territories and face the impacts generated by the hegemonic development model.

The exhibition is materialized as a space to express and claim that the Just Energy Transition is possible, is underway, led and built by social processes in various parts of the continent. Additionally, is constituted as a platform for the exchange of experiences, which makes it possible to immerse oneself in the contexts in which they were implemented, to recognize the transformations in terms of autonomy that generate initiatives such as: biodigesters, efficient wood stoves, community turbines, solar dehydrators, photovoltaic systems, sustainable mobility practices, heaters, solar stoves and many other proposals that will be presented in this 3rd version.

These proposals emerge from the urgent need to take action in the face of the climate crisis. and environmental, mainly derived from the imposed energy model, which has been co-opted by governmental and business proposals, focused on changing the energy matrix from a mercantile logic that perpetuates the consequences of the energy model, and makes invisible these community developments that managed to understand energy relations from other paradigms, as viable alternatives. 

The above interferes with the energy transition discourse that has been positioned at present and that does not propose structural solutions to the crisis despite promoting non-conventional renewable energies; the promotion given for their implementation increases energy demand, deepens the extractivism of other types of materials and demands for their production the efficiency of fossil fuels. This scenario that is taking shape is worrying because of the repetition of patterns such as: forced displacement of human and animal populations, loss of biodiversity, rupture of the social fabric, environmental damage in the territories, generation of dependence on multinationals and other States; aspects that only deepen social, economic and political inequality and environmental injustice.

Therefore, the exhibition becomes a proposal for enriching discussions, dialogues and perspectives on transitionThis is because it demonstrates the limitations of focusing solutions on changing sources or expanding the energy matrix; exposes processes permeated by the questioning of consumption patternsThe centralization of energy and its democratization; offers reflections for the creation of new communication tools, methodologies and languages. to defend and advance the peoples’ energy sovereigntyThis is a fundamental contribution to the Just Energy Transition.

The virtual exhibition has specific objectives:

  1. To make visible experiences that have managed to resist and respond to energy challenges in a local way, promoting energy autonomy.
  2. Promote social articulation between communities from different territories, based on the exchange of knowledge.
  3. Make practical, real and concrete contributions to build fair local energy transition options that motivate communities to implement alternatives in their territories.
  4. Completing the energy transition debate from an environmental justice approach.
  5. To provide content so that people working on these issues in different areas (researchers, decision makers, community) can appropriate and use them for their advocacy, training or communication exercises.

Who drives the exhibition?

The virtual exhibition of community experiences of Just Energy Transition is promoted by various organizations that work in the construction and strengthening of alternatives from the regions and whose purpose is to dignify life in the territories from the defense of autonomy and the pursuit of environmental justice. We analyze the current crisis, integrating in our debates the impacts generated by the extractive energy matrix, on which the dominant development model is based.

This exhibition is powered by:
Logo Movimiento de Afectados por represas en Latinoamérica (Movement of People Affected by Dams in Latin America)
SETAA Communities Logo
Fundaexpresión Logo
Energy and Equity Logo
Santander Peasant Reserves Logo
With the support of:
Milieudefensie color logo

What has been achieved?

In the two previous versions of the Virtual Exhibition of community experiences of Just Energy Transition (TEJ) that took place in 2020 and 2021, a total of 55 initiatives applied, of which 48 met the criteria to be recognized as energy autonomy alternatives in this call. These proposals had a direct positive impact on nearly 18,000 thousand people in eight Latin American countries: Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador, Cuba, Peru and Colombia.

At these Exhibitions, the following were recognized as meritorious 8 community experiences of TEJThe following aspects were evaluated: number of people benefited, significant advances in the transformation of the energy model at the local level, inclusion of the gender perspective, impact on public policies and the replicability of the proposals within the community, among other criteria.

The experiences presented have in common the principles of decentralization, autonomy in the generation and supply of energy, integrality of processes, waste recirculation and promotion of energy efficiency; in addition, their implementation strengthens the social fabric, provides technical training to beneficiaries to ensure sustainability of operation and guarantees access to energy for various population groups.

For the evaluation of the proposals, in the two versions of the Exhibition we have a diverse jury composed of academics, artists, activists and representatives of some of the meritorious experiences (in the case of the exhibition in 2021).

47

EXPERIENCES RECOGNIZED AS ENERGY AUTONOMY ALTERNATIVES

2.557

FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THE EXPERIENCES

14.958
PERSONS
BENEFICIED

What is Just Energy Transition in the voice of communities?

These are some of the voices of the participating Experiences

Are you a decision maker?

We invite you to join us in the recognition of community alternatives.
for a collective push for a Just Energy Transformation.