Welcoming an International Critical Minerals Treaty as part of the Global Climate Change and Sustainability Transition Agenda Raphael J Heffron Journal of World Energy Law and Business, 2025 Critical minerals are rising in value in terms of how they enable society to have a just and sustainable climate transition. They form a critical part of the circular economy, the energy transition and overall are increasingly diffusing into the everyday life of society. Critical minerals, being part of the mining sector, have a long and dark legacy of environmental damage and unjust financial distributions. This needs to change as they become central to the societal transitions needed to respond to climate change challenges. In order to achieve this, this brief article advances that an International Critical Minerals Treaty is needed and should be advanced and established at the UN COP31 event later in 2026. It would benefit all countries and improve the position of society in achieving its climate and sustainable development goals.
Employment risk for the global oil and gas sector in light of just transition policies Chafai Maissa, Chaouche Saloua-Nassima, Raphael J. Heffron Energy and Climate Change, 2025 This research focuses on the issue of employment which is one of the most important issues of the global just transition to a low-carbon economy. Through a quantitative assessment of the top-100 global oil and gas companies, the results advance that inaction on achieving the just transition will result in increased employment risk, i.e., job losses. The objective of this research was to explore whether company inaction on climate and low-carbon energy strategies will lead to job losses within their firms. The method adopted here is hierarchical clustering on principal components whereby these companies can be grouped together from an economic and regional perspective and assessed in terms of their employment risk. The results indicate that there is significant employment risk should companies continue on their current pathways. Latin America and the Caribbean have the highest risk of job loss, while workers in Europe and Central Asia have a lower risk. This research will allow oil and gas policymakers and decisionmakers to begin making strategic decisions around the area of employment risk. Further, it should encourage new corporate and climate strategy perspectives for responding to the challenges of the global just transition. Finally, it can improve just outcomes for society such as the UN SDG No. 8 on decent work and economic growth.
Overcoming five key challenges to make the energy transition a just labor transition Luis Fernández Intriago, Sharan Burrow, Shouvik Chakraborty, Reza Daniels, Alan Finkelstein Shapiro, Helena Garcia, Raphael Heffron, Michael Jakob, Markus Janser, Suzi Kerr, Catherine Leining, Dave Maré, Mauro Pucheta, Daniel Raimi, Mandy Rambharos, Euan Richardson, Marcela Tarazona, Alessio Terzi Nature Communications, 2025 Shifting rapidly to a low-emissions global economy could severely disrupt workers’ livelihoods and their communities, exacerbating inequalities and perpetuating injustice. In a Just Labor Transition, strategic policies prepare workers for new jobs, enable inclusive decision-making with meaningful participation of workers and their representatives (including labor unions and other collective organizations), and secure social license for change.
A systematic review of the intersection between energy justice and human rights Chioma Vivian Basil, Raphael Heffron Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025 This article systematically reviews the relationship between energy justice and human rights, recognising the shared responsibility of equity, inclusivity , respect, acknowledgement, and accountability for historical injustices. The energy justice theory is applied to checkmate the activities of the energy sector through the energy chain to manage its adverse impact on the environment and communities. This is anchored on five principles of distributional, procedural, recognition, restorative, and cosmopolitan justice principles. These principles are equally advocated for in the human rights framework to ensure universal energy access for well-being and a healthy environment. Therefore, this article explores how these energy justice and human rights principles have converged in the energy sector to tackle energy poverty , environmental degradation, community rights violations, and accountability concerns. The aim being to establish an intersection between the justice of energy activities and fundamental rights across academic journals and policy materials. Thus, by utilising a method of systematic review , this article analyses research materials spanning from January 2000 to October 2024. To understand the evolution of the relationship between human rights and energy justice, reflecting shifts in priorities and responses to contemporary issues. In this review, we find that very few studies have begun analysing human rights violations of energy activities as an energy justice concern. Therefore, this systematic review offers insights into creating a sustainable, accountable, and equitable energy system devoid of fundamental rights violations; through inclusive energy policies and implementation mechanisms that prioritize the rights, and well-being of vulnerable populations.
A manifesto for a global just transition Darren McCauley, Tracy-Lynn Field, Raphael Heffron, Iain Todd Future of Just Transitions Theory and Implementation, 2024
Transforming education for the just transition Sufyan Droubi, Arthur Galamba, Fernando Lannes Fernandes, Amanda André de Mendonça, Raphael J. Heffron Energy Research and Social Science, 2023
Editorial foreword Legal Challenges and Opportunities in the Energy Transition Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies, 2023
Pathways of scholarship for energy justice and the social contract Raphael J Heffron, Louis De Fontenelle, Chioma Basil, Inigo Del Guayo Castiella, Sufyan Droubi, Mohammad Hazrati, Halima I Hussein, Diane Kraal, Darren McCauley, Alicia Phillips, Emmanuelle Santoire, Xavier Arnauld de Sartre Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law, 2023
Latin America, indigenous peoples, and investments: Resistance and accommodation Latin America and International Investment Law A Mosaic of Resistance, 2022
Justice in solar energy development R. Heffron, Stephanie Halbrügge, Marc-Fabian Körner, Nana A. Obeng-Darko, Theresia Sumarno, Jonathan Wagner, Martin Weibelzahl Solar Energy, 2021
A toolbox to assist in designing marine monitoring programs for offshore storage sites 15th Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference 2021 Ghgt 2021, 2021
Beyond energy justice: Towards a just transition Research Handbook on Global Climate Constitutionalism, 2019
Background: United Kingdom Raphael Heffron, Mohammad Hazrati, Greg Gordon, Darren McCauley Regulating Offshore Petroleum Resources the British and Norwegian Models, 2019
Energy justice: A conceptual review Kirsten Jenkins, Darren McCauley, Raphael Heffron, Hannes Stephan, Robert Rehner Energy Research and Social Science, 2016
From policy to practice: a multi-dimensional assessment of extractive governance performance in Africa under EITI disclosure frameworks Y Abdul-Salam, VR Nalule, R Heffron The Extractive Industries and Society 27, 101915 , 2026 2026
Localizing Just Transition: Perspectives from Southeast Asia L Sulistiawati, H Yang, R Heffron, G Nadaud NUS Law Working Paper , 2026 2026
Toward a Justice-Based Framework for Mitigating Modern Slavery Risks in Global Supply Chains: Lessons from Australia’s Missed Opportunities R Karim, S Ahmed, R Heffron Combatting Modern Slavery: A Global Perspective, 273-288 , 2026 2026
The European Union: Can There Be a Unified EU Energy Policy (Should There Be)? L Lozano, RJ Heffron, L Downes Contributions to Economics, 47-79 , 2026 2026
United Kingdom: The Energy Sector Through Privatization to Low-Carbon and Brexit RJ Heffron, LA Greening, M Hazrati Contributions to Economics, 151-184 , 2026 2026
Why Look at Energy Policymaking? P Geoffron, LA Greening, RJ Heffron Energy Policymaking in a Cross-national Comparison: Energy Resources, Policy … , 2026 2026
Welcoming an International Critical Minerals Treaty as part of the Global Climate Change and Sustainability Transition Agenda RJ Heffron The Journal of World Energy Law & Business 18 (5-6), jwag001 , 2025 2025
Justice and modern slavery in energy sector value chains R Karim, RJ Heffron, S Ahmed Energy Research & Social Science 130, 104420 , 2025 2025
A systematic review of the intersection between energy justice and human rights CV Basil, R Heffron Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 221, 115892 , 2025 2025 Citations: 10
Overcoming five key challenges to make the energy transition a just labor transition L Fernández Intriago, S Burrow, S Chakraborty, R Daniels, ... nature communications 16 (1), 7541 , 2025 2025 Citations: 9
Energy policy distractions to renewable programs: a comparative assessment D Kraal, RJ Heffron, M Hazrati, H Hussein, A Phillips Sustainable Earth Reviews 8 (1), 10 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Employment risk for the global oil and gas sector in light of just transition policies C Maissa, C Saloua-Nassima, RJ Heffron Energy and Climate Change, 100208 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Restorative Justice in Petrostates RJ Heffron, M Hazrati The Rise of Restorative Justice in the Energy Transition and for Climate … , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
The Rise of Restorative Justice in the Energy Sector RJ Heffron, M Hazrati The Rise of Restorative Justice in the Energy Transition and for Climate … , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Conclusion: Future Developments in Restorative Justice in the Global Energy Sector RJ Heffron, M Hazrati The Rise of Restorative Justice in the Energy Transition and for Climate … , 2024 2024
The Rise of Energy Justice Research RJ Heffron, M Hazrati The Rise of Restorative Justice in the Energy Transition and for Climate … , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Conceptualising restorative justice in the energy transition RJ Heffron, M Hazrati The Rise of Restorative Justice in the Energy Transition and for Climate … , 2024 2024 Citations: 3
The Rise of Restorative Justice in the Energy Transition and for Climate Mitigation RJ Heffron, M Hazrati Palgrave Macmillan , 2024 2024 Citations: 13
A manifesto for a global just transition D McCauley, TL Field, R Heffron, I Todd The Future of Just Transitions, 182-206 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
The Future of Just Transitions: Theory and Implementation D McCauley, TL Field, R Heffron, I Todd Edward Elgar Publishing , 2024 2024 Citations: 6
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Energy justice: A conceptual review K Jenkins, D McCauley, R Heffron, H Stephan, R Rehner Energy research & social science 11, 174-182 , 2016 2016 Citations: 2916
Just transition: Integrating climate, energy and environmental justice D McCauley, R Heffron Energy policy 119, 1-7 , 2018 2018 Citations: 1629
Advancing energy justice: the triumvirate of tenets DA McCauley, RJ Heffron, H Stephan, K Jenkins International Energy Law Review 32 (3), 107-110 , 2013 2013 Citations: 1009
The concept of energy justice across the disciplines RJ Heffron, D McCauley Energy policy 105, 658-667 , 2017 2017 Citations: 987
Energy decisions reframed as justice and ethical concerns BK Sovacool, RJ Heffron, D McCauley, A Goldthau Nature Energy 1 (5), 1-6 , 2016 2016 Citations: 970
What is the “just transition”? RJ Heffron Achieving a just transition to a low-carbon economy, 9-19 , 2022 2022 Citations: 852
Energy justice in the transition to low carbon energy systems: Exploring key themes in interdisciplinary research D McCauley, V Ramasar, RJ Heffron, BK Sovacool, D Mebratu, ... Applied energy 233, 916-921 , 2019 2019 Citations: 693
Resolving society's energy trilemma through the Energy Justice Metric RJ Heffron, D McCauley, BK Sovacool Energy Policy 87, 168-176 , 2015 2015 Citations: 592
Applying energy justice into the energy transition RJ Heffron Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 156, 111936 , 2022 2022 Citations: 307
Achieving sustainable supply chains through energy justice RJ Heffron, D McCauley Applied Energy 123, 435-437 , 2014 2014 Citations: 288
Industrial demand-side flexibility: A key element of a just energy transition and industrial development R Heffron, MF Körner, J Wagner, M Weibelzahl, G Fridgen Applied Energy 269, 115026 , 2020 2020 Citations: 262
Conceptualising restorative justice in the energy transition: changing the perspectives of fossil fuels M Hazrati, RJ Heffron Energy research & social science 78, 102115 , 2021 2021 Citations: 219
A treatise for energy law RJ Heffron, A Rønne, JP Tomain, A Bradbrook, K Talus The Journal of World Energy Law & Business 11 (1), 34-48 , 2018 2018 Citations: 178
The role of justice in developing critical minerals RJ Heffron The extractive industries and society 7 (3), 855-863 , 2020 2020 Citations: 168
Defining and conceptualising energy policy failure: the when, where, why, and how MM Sokołowski, RJ Heffron Energy Policy 161, 112745 , 2022 2022 Citations: 167
Energy justice, a whole systems approach K Jenkins, D McCauley, R Heffron, H Stephan Queen's Political Review 2 (2), 74-87 , 2014 2014 Citations: 155
Balancing the energy trilemma through the Energy Justice Metric RJ Heffron, D McCauley, GZ de Rubens Applied energy 229, 1191-1201 , 2018 2018 Citations: 143
A critical review of energy democracy: A failure to deliver justice? S Droubi, RJ Heffron, D McCauley Energy Research & Social Science 86, 102444 , 2022 2022 Citations: 141
The evolution of energy law and energy jurisprudence: Insights for energy analysts and researchers RJ Heffron, K Talus Energy Research & Social Science 19, 1-10 , 2016 2016 Citations: 138
What Is Energy Law? RJ Heffron Energy Law: An Introduction, 1-13 , 2021 2021 Citations: 120
