Energy Communities at the Intersection of Clean Energy Access, Gender, and Sustainable Development

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: Toplumsal Cinsiyet Özel Sayısı, 253 - 272, 27.09.2025

Güneş Kurtuluş

https://doi.org/10.25295/fsecon.1719535

Abstract

Over the past quarter-century, the core axis of global energy and environmental policies has been shaped by the fight against climate change. In this context, interest in renewable energy sources has increased with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable energy systems. Among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all holds a prominent position. However, access to renewable energy remains limited globally, particularly for vulnerable groups. Gender-based inequalities are among the main factors that restrict women’s access to these technologies and their participation in energy-related knowledge. In this regard, energy communities stand out as key actors in building a more inclusive energy transition, due to their structures that prioritize democratic participation, promote collective production and consumption at the local level, and aim for the fair distribution of common benefits. These structures have the potential not only to reshape energy production processes but also to transform access to information, decision-making, and empowerment processes from the perspective of social justice. This study presents a discussion on how community-based energy approaches can help overcome the structural barriers women face in accessing renewable energy. The main aim of the study is to analyze how energy communities can support gender equality in access to energy and to examine their transformative role in building sustainable, equitable, and participatory energy systems through the case of the Green Thought Association. Accordingly, it argues that a transformation centered on energy justice, going beyond technical solutions to the energy transition, is both necessary and possible.

Keywords

Energy Access , Gender , Community-Based Approach , Renewable Energy

Yenilenebilir Enerjiye Erişim, Toplumsal Cinsiyet ve Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Kesişiminde Enerji Toplulukları

Abstract

Son çeyrek yüzyılda küresel enerji ve çevre politikalarının temel eksenini, iklim değişikliğiyle mücadele oluşturmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarına yönelik ilgi, sera gazı emisyonlarını azaltmak ve sürdürülebilir enerji sistemlerini teşvik etmek amacıyla artış göstermektedir. Birleşmiş Milletler tarafından belirlenen Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları (SKA) arasında, herkes için uygun fiyatlı, güvenilir, sürdürülebilir ve modern enerjiye erişimin sağlanması önemli bir yer tutmaktadır. Ancak mevcut durumda, yenilenebilir enerjiye erişim dünya genelinde ve özellikle kırılgan gruplar açısından hâlâ sınırlı düzeydedir. Toplumsal cinsiyet temelli eşitsizlikler, kadınların bu teknolojilere erişimini ve enerji alanındaki bilgiye katılımını kısıtlayan başlıca faktörlerden biridir. Bu bağlamda, enerji toplulukları; demokratik katılımı önceleyen yapıları, yerel ölçekte kolektif üretim ve tüketimi teşvik etmeleri ve ortak faydanın adil paylaşımını hedeflemeleri bakımından, daha kapsayıcı bir enerji dönüşümünün inşasında önemli aktörler olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Bu tür yapılar, enerji üretim süreçlerinin yanı sıra, bilgiye erişim, karar alma ve güçlenme süreçlerini de toplumsal adalet perspektifiyle yeniden şekillendirme potansiyeline sahiptir. Bu çalışma, topluluk temelli enerji yaklaşımlarının, kadınların yenilenebilir enerjiye erişimindeki yapısal engelleri nasıl aşabileceğine dair bir tartışma ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışmanın temel amacı, enerji topluluklarının, enerjiye erişim süreçlerinde toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliğini nasıl destekleyebileceğini ve bu yapıların sürdürülebilir, adil ve katılımcı enerji sistemlerinin inşasındaki dönüştürücü rolünü Yeşil Düşünce Derneği (YDD) üzerinden analiz etmektir. Bu doğrultuda, enerji geçişine yönelik teknik çözümlerin ötesine geçilerek, enerji adaletini merkeze alan bir dönüşümün mümkün ve gerekli olduğu savunulmaktadır.

Keywords

Enerjiye Erişim , Toplumsal Cinsiyet , Topluluk Temelli Yaklaşım , Yenilenebilir Enerji

References

• Acheampong, A. O., Erdiaw-Kwasie, M. O., & Abunyewah, M. (2021). Does energy accessibility improve human development? Evidence from energy-poor regions. Energy Economics, 96, 105165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105165
• Adanma, U. M., & Ogunbiyi, E. O. (2024). Assessing the economic and environmental impacts of renewable energy adoption across different global regions. Engineering Science & Technology Journal, 5(5), 1767-1793. DOI: 10.51594/estj/v5i5.1154
• Addabbo, T., Lanzi, D., & Picchio, A. (2016). Gender inequalities, households and the production of well-being in modern Europe. Routledge.
• Al-Shetwi, A. Q. (2022). Sustainable development of renewable energy integrated power sector: Trends, environmental impacts, and recent challenges. Science of the Total Environment, 822, 153645. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153645
• Baltacı, A. (2019). Nitel araştırma süreci: Nitel bir araştırma nasıl yapılır? Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi (AEÜSBED), 5(2), 368-388.
• Barrett, D., & Twycross, A. (2018). Data collection in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing, 21(3), 63–64. 10.1136/eb-2018-102939
• Bauwens, T., Gotchev, B., & Holstenkamp, L. (2016). What drives the development of community energy in Europe? The case of wind power cooperatives. Energy Research & Social Science, 13, 136–147. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.12.016
• Bei, J., & Wang, C. (2023). Renewable energy resources and sustainable development goals: Evidence based on green finance, clean energy and environmentally friendly investment. Resources Policy, 80, 103194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.103194
• Bertheau, P. (2020). Assessing the impact of renewable energy on local development and the Sustainable Development Goals: Insights from a small Philippine island. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 153, 119919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.119919
• Bogdanov, D., Ram, M., Aghahosseini, A., Gulagi, A., Oyewo, A. S., Child, M., Caldera, U., Sadovskaia, K., Farfan, J., Noel Simas Barbosa, L. S., Fasihi, M., Khalili, S., Traber, T., & Breyer, C. (2021). Low-cost renewable electricity As the key driver of the global energy transition towards sustainability. Energy, 227, 120467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.120467
• Caramizaru, E., & Uihlein, A., (2020). Energy communities: an overview of energy and social innovation. EUR 30083 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, doi:10.2760/180576, JRC119433.
• Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2014). Thematic analysis. Encyclopedia of critical psychology (1947-1952). Springer, New York, NY.
• Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative. Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ.
• Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(2), 219–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800405284363
• Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. Basic Books.
• Gerring, J. (2004). What is a case study and what is it good for?. American Political Science Review, 98(2), 341-354.
• Gillham, B. (2000). Case study research methods. Continuum.
• Güney, T. (2021). Renewable energy and sustainable development: Evidence from OECD countries. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 40(4), e13609.
• Heidari, Z., & Eshtiagi, M. (2025). Breaking barriers: An action framework for integrating gender into renewable energy policies in fossil-fuel-rich nations. Energy Research & Social Science, 120, 103937. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.103937
• IRENA. (2021). Renewable energy and jobs annual review 2020. International Renewable Energy Agency.
• IRENA. (2024). Gender. International Renewable Energy Agency.
• Kallio, H., Pietilä, A. M., Johnson, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2016). Systematic methodological review: Developing a framework for a qualitative semi‐structured interview guide. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(12), 2954-2965. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031
• Karekezi, S., & Kithyoma, W. (2002) Renewable energy strategies for rural Africa: Is a PV-led renewable energy strategy the right approach for providing modern energy to the rural poor of sub-saharan Africa?. Energy Policy, 30, 1071-1086. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-4215(02)00059-9
• Katısöz, Ö., Parlar, D., Balta, E., Kutluğ, M., & Çağlayan, Ç. (2025). Yazılı forum: İklim krizi ile mücadelede sivil toplum örgütlerinin rolü. Community & Physician/Toplum ve Hekim, 40(3).
• Kemp, S. E., Hort, J., & Hollowood, T. (2018). Descriptive analysis. S. E. Kemp, J. Hort, & T. Hollowood (Eds.), Descriptive analysis in sensory evaluation (1-24). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118991657.ch1
• Koç Yurtkur, A. & Bahtiyar, B. (2024). Sürdürülebilir kalkınmada kadın istihdamının rolü ve yeşil ekonomi etkisi. https://avesis.kayseri.edu.tr/yayin/32e842c1-532c-4e40-bc98-a619ca4201a2/yesil-enerji-kullaniminin-cevresel-bozulmanin-azaltilmasi-ve-surdurulebilirlik-acisindan-incelenmesi
• Konuk Kandemir, N. & Habip, E. (2023). Sürdürülebilirlik kültürü ve sivil toplum kuruluşları: İstanbul’da çevre konusunda faaliyet gösteren dernekler. Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 24(45), 817-840. https://dx.doi.org/10.21550/sosbilder.1282979
• Kracher, A. (2021). Renewable energy communities: Exploring behavioral and motivational factors behind the willingness to participate in renewable energy communities in Germany. Yüksek Lisans Tezi. Lund University, International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics.
• Lane, L., Dhal, S., & Srivastava, N. (2021). Gender empowerment and community of practice to promote clean energy sustainability. W. Leal Filho (Ed.), Affordable and clean energy (689–697). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95864-4_136
• Lazoroska, D., Palm, J., & Bergek, A. (2021). Perceptions of participation and the role of gender for the engagement in solar energy communities in Sweden. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 11, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-021-00312-6
• Leduchowicz-Municio, A., Domenech, B., Ferrer-Martí, L., Udaeta, M. E. M., & Gimenes, A. L. V. (2023). Women, equality, and energy access: Emerging lessons for last-mile rural electrification in Brazil. Energy Research & Social Science, 102, 103181.
• Lee, C. C., Xing, W., & Lee, C. C. (2022). The impact of energy security on income inequality: The key role of economic development. Energy, 248, 123564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.123564
• Li, T., Li, A., & Guo, X. (2020). The sustainable development-oriented development and utilization of renewable energy industry-A comprehensive analysis of MCDM methods. Energy, 212, 118694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2020.118694
• Makatouni, A. (2002). What motivates consumers to buy organic food in the UK? Results from a qualitative study. British Food Journal, 104(3/4/5), 345-352.
• McNamara, K. E., & Buggy, L. (2016). Community-based climate change adaptation: A review of academic literature. Local Environment, 22(4), 443–460. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2016.1216954
• Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Mohajan, H. K. (2018). Qualitative research methodology in social sciences and related subjects. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 7(1), 23-48.
• Moniruzzaman, M., & Day, R. (2020). Gendered energy poverty and energy justice in rural Bangladesh. Energy Policy, 144, 111554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111554
• Noorollahi, Y., Pourarshad, M., & Veisi, A. (2021). The synergy of renewable energies for sustainable energy systems development in oil-rich nations; case of Iran. Renewable Energy, 173, 561-568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.04.016
• Olabi, A. G., Elsaid, K., Obaideen, K., Abdelkareem, M. A., Rezk, H., Wilberforce, T., Maghrabie, H. M., & Sayed, E. T. (2023). Renewable energy systems: Comparisons, challenges and barriers, sustainability indicators, and the contribution to UN sustainable development goals. International Journal of Thermofluids, 20, 100498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijft.2023.100498
• Petrova, S. (2018). Energy, vulnerability and feminist geographies: Exploring intersections through a case study of energy poverty in Bulgaria. Geoforum, 91, 115-123.
• Petrova, S., & Simcock, N. (2021). Gender and energy: domestic inequities reconsidered, Social & Cultural Geography, 22(6), 849-867, DOI: 10.1080/14649365.2019.1645200
• Priya, A. (2021). Case study methodology of qualitative research: Key attributes and navigating the conundrums in its application. Sociological Bulletin, 70(1), 94-110. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022920970318
• Rabionet, S. E. (2011). How i learned to design and conduct semi-structured ınterviews: An ongoing and continuous journey. The Qualitative Report, 16(2), 563-566. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2011.1070
• Ross, E., Day, M., Ivanova, C., Mcleod, C., & Lockshin, C. (2022). Intersections of disadvantaged communities and renewable energy potential: Data set and analysis to inform equitable investment prioritization in the United States. Renewable Energy Focus, 41, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ref.2022.02.002
• Şimşek, B., & Kurtuluş, G. (2025). İklim değişikliği ile mücadelede yenilenebilir enerjinin gelişimi ve biyoçeşitliliğin korunmasına yönelik topluluk temelli bir yaklaşım. Bulletin of Economic Theory and Analysis, 10(2), 435–456. https://doi.org/10.25229/beta.1645508
• Sivil Sayfalar (2023). Çevre hareketinde feministler çevirisi Türkçe olarak yayınlandı. https://www.sivilsayfalar.org/2023/08/18/cevre-hareketinde-feministler-cevirisi-turkce-olarak-yayinlandi/
• Sovacool, B. J., Martiskainen, M., Hook, A., & Baker, L. (2020). Beyond cost and carbon: The multidimensional co-benefits of low carbon transitions in Europe. Ecological Economics, 169, 106529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106529.
• Virah-Sawmy, D., Beck, F. J., & Sturmberg, B. (2024). Ignore variability, overestimate hydrogen production–Quantifying the effects of electrolyzer efficiency curves on hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 72, 49-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.05.360
• Vogel, M., Kacperski, C., Bielig, M., & Kutzner, F. (2024). Doing gender in energy communities: A gendered perspective on barriers and motivators. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 53, 100902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2024.100902
• Wahlund, M., & Palm, J. (2022). The role of energy democracy and energy citizenship for participatory energy transitions: A comprehensive review. Energy Research & Social Science, 87, 102482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102482
• Walker, G., & Devine-Wright, P. (2008). Community renewable energy: What should it mean?. Energy policy, 36(2), 497-500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2007.10.019
• Wang, Z., Ahmed, Z., Zhang, B., Wang, B. B., & Wang, B. B. (2019). The nexus between urbanization, road infrastructure, and transport energy demand: Empirical evidence from Pakistan. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26(34), 34884–34895. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06542-8
• Winther, T., Ulsrud, K., & Saini, A. (2018). Solar powered electricity access: Implications for women’s empowerment in rural Kenya. Energy Research & Social Science, 44, 61-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.04.017
• YDD, 2024. Faaliyet Raporu. https://www.yesildusunce.org/2024-faaliyet-raporumuz-yayinlandi/
• YDD. https://www.yesildusunce.org/
• YDD. https://www.yesildusunce.org/projeler/yesil-politikalar-icin-toplumsal-cinsiyet-calismalari/
• YDD. https://www.yesildusunce.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/EPDK_Bilgi_Notu.pdf
• Yerlikaya, B. (2022). Yeşil ekonomiye geçiş kadınların istihdama katılımı için kriz mi fırsat mı?: Toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliği bağlamında yeşil işler. Marmara Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 44(1), 137-161.
• Yeşil Gazete (2020). Avrupa Yeşil Mutabakatı Yeşil Düşünce Derneği tarafından Türkçeleştirildi. https://yesilgazete.org/avrupa-yesil-mutabakati-yesil-dusunce-dernegi-tarafindan-turkcelestirildi/
• Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th Ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Zainal, Z. (2007). Case study as a research method. Jurnal Kemanusiaan, 5(1).