Neo-colonial hydrogen futures
Green capitalism is catching on - especially in the global South and particularly in times of climate crisis. Transnational banks, pension funds and venture capitalists have rediscovered the global South as an investment area and are financing solar and wind energy projects. The hydrogen boom is consolidating these new green power relationships. In order to decarbonise heavy industry, (green) hydrogen (H2). However, it would take all the wind turbines currently installed in NRW just to achieve climate-neutral production at ThyssenKrupp Stahl. For this reason, the demand for green hydrogen is to be covered by imports from countries in the Global South, in particular Morocco, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, Chile and Brazil.
But who shapes such transformation processes? To what extent are they characterised by neo-colonial patterns and aligned with the interests of green investors? Are there points of contact for social movements and for the appropriation of transformation processes? The workshop will provide an introduction to the (neo)colonial structures of the new hydrogen economy. Together with you, we will first consider what we mean by energy coloniality and discuss this based on case studies from Morocco and Namibia. We will also consider what is important to ensure that energy transition processes are fair, what a decolonial perspective brings to light here and what forms and practices transnational solidarity could take. The workshop will provide you with networking opportunities.
The workshop does not require any prior knowledge. For the case studies, it would be good to have some knowledge of English.