Renewables vs. Fossil Hegemony in the Early 21st Century

This book reframes the global energy transition through developing-world perspectives, showing how local realities, governance, and inequality shape diverse pathways from fossil fuels to renewables across Denmark, Brazil, and India.

This book offers a first-of-its-kind account that shifts attention away from dominant Western narratives and places developing-world experiences at the centre of the global energy transition. Focusing on the formative period of the 21st century, it shows how the move from fossil fuels to renewables has unfolded not as a uniform shift, but as a layered and uneven process shaped by local realities, institutional constraints, and development priorities. A local-to-global approach, combined with the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) socio-technical framework, guides the analysis of how states, markets, and communities interact to shape energy pathways. Case studies of Denmark, Brazil, and India reveal distinct trajectories—from community-led wind systems to state-driven hydropower and market-oriented solar expansion. By grounding global debates in empirical realities, the author challenges one-size-fits-all narratives of sustainability. He argues that energy transitions are as much about governance, equity, and power as they are about technology. At a time when climate action demands urgency and inclusion, this book offers a clear framework for understanding how the energy transition is negotiated across the world—starting from the local and moving outward.