Special Lecture: Business, human rights, and just transition in the context of energy transition
Date: 20 July 2022
Time: 1:00 P.M. (ICT/GMT+0700 Bangkok Time)
Venue: S201 SERD Building, AIT, Thailand, and Online via ZOOM (please ask)
The Department of Development and Sustainability is pleased to invite you the Special Lecture titled Business, human rights, and just transition in the context of energy transition by AIT alumnus Dr. Sokphea Young, Honorary Research Fellow at the University College London (UK) and Research Associate at the University of Oxford’s (UK) China Centre. Dr. Young obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne (Australia), Master’s (with distinction) from Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), and Bachelor’s from Royal University of Agriculture (Cambodia).
Abstract
Energy transition has become an urgent strategic agenda for public, private and not-for-profit entities to address climate change issues. Driven by different regulatory enforcement, the private entities, in particular, have committed to achieving a low carbon economy by transforming their energy policies and investing in renewable and clean energy projects. Many stakeholders have applauded the transformation to a low-carbon economy, but the consequences of such an endeavour have not been well discussed. In this talk, I will draw on cases in Europe and Southeast Asia to highlight key human rights issues of the energy transition, discussing just transition, the supply chain of renewable energy, such as wind and solar farms, and the complexity of responsible businesses. I will then propose a framework to understand and address human rights issues in the energy transition in the context of business and human rights.
Speaker
Dr. Sokphea Young, University College London United Kindom [ LinkedIn ]
Bio
Sokphea Young obtained Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne (Australia), Master’s (with distinction) from Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), and Bachelor’s from Royal University of Agriculture (Cambodia). He is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the University College London (UK) and a Research Associate at the University of Oxford’s (UK) China Centre. Dr Young taught at University College London, Birkbeck, Queen Mary and SOAS, Universities of London. He has researched and published on the political economy of business and society; economic and political development; regulatory governance; social media and politics; and civil society and social movements in Southeast Asia. His research appeared in Third World Quarterly, Journal of International Relations and Development, Journal of Civil Society, Journal of Contemporary Southeast Asia, South East Asia Research, The Chinese Journal of Comparative Law, Asian Politics & Policies, Asian Journal of Social Science, and Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs. He is the author of “Strategies of authoritarian survival and dissensus in Southeast Asia: Weak Men versus Strongmen”, Palgrave Macmillan (2021).
Besides his academic career, Dr. Young advised international development agencies, multinational companies, banks and international financial institutions to manage and mitigate social, environmental, governance (ESG), human rights and political risks in East and South East Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
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