Just published: Governing the Dark Side of Renewable Energy: A Typology of Global Displacements

My new article published in Energy Research & Social Science, co-authored with Teresa Kramarz and Craig Johnson, is available to read and access free until April 21 2021.

Click here!

Kramarz, Teresa, Susan Park, and Craig Johnson. “Governing the Dark Side of Renewable Energy: A Typology of Global Displacements.” Energy Research & Social Science 74 (2021): 101902.

Abstract

Renewable energy (RE) is critical for curbing global greenhouse gas emissions to achieve 2 to 4 degrees of global warming by 2100. While this is an imperative technical response to the climate crisis, the shift to renewables is also driving a surge in demand for metals and minerals used in RE. Calls are being made for “smarter” and more “responsible” forms of mining, but questions remain about the socio-economic and environmental impacts of extraction, processing, application, and disposal at multiple scales. The literature has been limited to the technical and cost-benefit dimensions of managing RE global supply chains. This article seeks to expand this focus by developing a typology of displacement that may be used to understand the socio-economic and environmental effects of onshore wind, solar photovoltaics (PV), and lithium-ion batteries. It encourages a critical analysis of how the global surge in demand for renewable energy is affecting development pathways and displacement patterns.

Keywords

Renewable energy; Global supply chains; Solar; Wind; Lithium batteries; Displacement; Transition; International political economy; Climate change; Contamination; Dispossession; Dependence

The Sweaty Penguin Podcast: Episode 30, Professor Susan Park on International Accountability

On The Sweaty Penguin, host Ethan Brown tackles environmental issues with a new topic every week. This week’s topic was international accountability.

Listen here!

International environmental treaties are a fantastic start, but they also regularly struggle because even when a country signs a treaty, they still don’t actually have to do anything. There is no global governing body to enforce agreements, meaning countries often fail to uphold their end of agreements, which is concerning since environmental issues are not isolated to any one country—everyone contributes, and everyone is affected. So how do countries then hold each other accountable? Today, we’ll explore some of the strategies currently used, why they often fail, and some options countries could consider from here to promote environmental progress on the global level. With special guest Dr. Susan Park: Professor of Global Governance at the University of Sydney.

Author Webinar: International Organisations and Global Problems

On the 29th of September I conducted an author webinar on my recent book International Organisations and Global Problems (CUP, 2018). In the webinar, I canvassed the book’s content and discussed how it can be integrated in a variety of courses in international relations, as well as providing insights on how the book can be used and adapted specifically for online teaching.

You can access the video below, with the following time-stamps to jump to particular sections of the talk and answers to specific questions:

00:00-2:45 Introduction

02:45-06:07 About the book

06:08-07:15 Q1 What courses is the book suitable for?

07:16-08:41 Are there chapters suitable for advanced courses?

08:41-9:30 Q3 Feedback from International Organisation

09:31-12:35 Key feature: Flexibility

12:36-16:53 Key feature: Questioning the roles of international organisations

18:07-19:08 Book and chapter structure

19:08-21:02 Q4 How does the book support distance teaching?

21:03-23:22 Q5 Do you define the problems on the nexus of sectors of align them with public sector organisations?

23:23-26:01 Online teaching

26:02-27:48 Q6 How do you perceive international relations?

27:53-30:45 Using music in synchronous online teaching

30:50-36:02 Q7 How to make students feel part of class online?

36:03-38:45 Assessment and Exams

38:46-41:57 Distance teaching – letting students set their own essay questions

41:57-45:00 Q8 International Organisations and the pandemic

45:00-46:37 Q9 Doesn’t the slow response indicate a lack of authentic collaboration...

46:37-48:23 Q10 How NGOs and individuals can get International Organisations to respond to their needs

48:23-49:10 Links

49:11-50:38 New content for the book in the future

50:38-51:27 Conclusion

Interested in International Organisations? Cambridge University Press author Susan Park talked about her book International Organisations and Global Problems...

Social Sciences Week: The Failure of Multilateralism during the COVID19 Pandemic

A look at the trends in governing the response to the global pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put governance systems around the world to the greatest test in living memory. The variation in responses and results has opened up the debate as to the ability of different regimes and international institutions to deliver in moments of crisis.

For instance, citizens of democracies have accepted previously unthinkable restrictions on freedoms, federal systems have seen the complex relationship between the federal government and the states increasingly negotiated, and intergovernmental organisations have not been successful at offsetting the unilateral responses such as border closures and beggar-thy-neighbour fights over medical aid.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgement of Country – Stewart Jackson
01:36 Citizen responses to the crisis – Sarah Cameron
10:46 The failure of multilateralism during the global pandemic - Susan Park
20:14 Implications of the pandemic response for domestic political institutions - Rodney Smith
30:18 Understanding the pandemic as a border security challenge - Salvatore Babones
38:50 The operation of the Commonwealth/federalism during the pandemic/bushfires/any other crisis - Stewart Jackson
48:35 Audience Q&A and discussion

Speakers
Dr Sarah Cameron, Government and International Relations, The University of Sydney
Professor Susan Park, Government and International Relations, The University of Sydney
Professor Rodney Smith, Government and International Relations, The University of Sydney
Associate Professor Salvatore Babones, Sociology and Social Policy, The University of Sydney
Dr Stewart Jackson (Chair), Government and International Relations, The University of Sydney

Part of the Governing the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic panel for the University of Sydney’s Social Sciences Week (SSW), September 9, 2020.

Listen below!:

A look at the trends in governing the response to the global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has put governance systems around the world to the greatest test in living memory. The variation in responses and results has opened up the debate as to the ability of different regimes and international institutions to deliver in moments of crisis. For instance, citizens of democracies have accepted previously unthinkable restrictions on freedoms, federal systems have seen the complex relationship between the federal government and the states increasingly negotiated, and intergovernmental organisations have not been successful at offsetting the unilateral responses such as border closures and beggar-thy-neighbour fights over medical aid. This podcast brings together experts in the social and political sciences to discuss and highlight the trends in governing the response to the pandemic thus far. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgement of Country – Stewart Jackson 01:36 Citizen responses to the crisis – Sarah Cameron 10:46 The failure of multilateralism during the global pandemic - Susan Park 20:14 Implications of the pandemic response for domestic political institutions - Rodney Smith 30:18 Understanding the pandemic as a border security challenge - Salvatore Babones 38:50 The operation of the Commonwealth/federalism during the pandemic/bushfires/any other crisis - Stewart Jackson 48:35 Audience Q&A and discussion Speakers Dr Sarah Cameron, Government and International Relations, The University of Sydney Professor Susan Park, Government and International Relations, The University of Sydney Professor Rodney Smith, Government and International Relations, The University of Sydney Associate Professor Salvatore Babones, Sociology and Social Policy, The University of Sydney Dr Stewart Jackson (Chair), Government and International Relations, The University of Sydney This podcast is part of Social Science Week Australia 2020. Find out more here: bit.ly/3fgfFpw

CISS Global Forum (2020) on The Covid Crisis: Lessons Learned, What Next?

On June 3, the University of Sydney’s Centre for International Security Studies (CISS) held the Global Forum on the COVID Crisis, asking what next?

You can listen to two of the discussions below:

• 2020, ‘The COVID Crisis: Lessons Learned, What Next?’, University of Sydney: Centre for International Security Studies (CISS) Global Forum, June 3. Featuring contributions from Susan Park, Justin Hastings, Brendan O’Connor, Aim Sinpeng, and Roy MacLeod.

The Centre for International Security Studies presents the 2020 Global Forum, The COVID Crisis: Lessons Learned, What Next? Through a series of curated webca...

• 2020, ‘Ecosecurity Threats and Challenges: COVID19 and Beyond,’ organised and moderated by Susan Park for CISS Global Forum. Featuring Simon Dalby (Waterloo), Prof Lorraine Elliott (ANU), A/Prof Matt McDonald (UQ), and Dr Robert Macneil (Sydney University), June 3.

The fourth webinar in the 2020 CISS Global Forum explored the theme of Ecosecurity Threats & Challenges: COVID-19 and Beyond. Our group of experts applied a ...

SSEAC Stories Podcast: Addressing Environmental and Social Harm through Global Governance

As instruments of global governance, Multilateral Development Banks were created to lend developing states capital for economic growth and development that they could not access from private capital markets. Despite their positive aims, these international organisations have often come under fire and received harsh criticism for their lending practices on economic, political, environmental, and human rights grounds. In particular, the Banks have been the focus of attention for being unaccountable for their actions.

Professor Susan Park chats with Dr Natali Pearson about global governance and Multilateral Development Banks, with a specific focus on accountability mechanisms in the Asian Development Bank.

SSEAC Stories is a podcast series produced by the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre at the University of Sydney. Experts join us in every episode to explore the latest research and share their insights on a wide range of topics pertaining to Southeast Asia.

Listen below!

As instruments of global governance, Multilateral Development Banks were created to lend developing states capital for economic growth and development that they could not access from private capital markets. Despite their positive aims, these international organisations have often come under fire and received harsh criticism for their lending practices on economic, political, environmental, and human rights grounds. In particular, the Banks have been the focus of attention for being unaccountable for their actions. Professor Susan Park chats with Dr Natali Pearson about global governance and Multilateral Development Banks, with a specific focus on accountability mechanisms in the Asian Development Bank. About Professor Susan Park: Susan Park is Professor of Global Governance at the University of Sydney. She focuses on how state and non-state actors use formal and informal influence to make the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) greener and more accountable. Susan has published in numerous journals, most recently in the Review of International Political Economy. Her forthcoming book is 'Addressing Environmental and Social Harm through the Independent Accountability Mechanisms of the Multilateral Development Banks' (Cambridge University Press, 2020). In 2018, Susan published 'International Organisations and Global Problems: Theories and Explanations (Cambridge University Press, 2018). In 2010, she published 'The World Bank Group and Environmentalists: Changing International Organisation Identities' (Manchester University Press). Susan has co-edited special editions and books including 'Global Environmental Governance and the Accountability Trap' (MIT Press, 2019, with Teresa Kramarz) and 'Owning Development'(Cambridge, 2010, with Antje Vetterlein). Susan is an Associate Editor of the journal Global Environmental Politics and is Co-Convenor with Dr Teresa Kramarz (University of Toronto) of the Earth Systems Governance (ESG) Task Force ‘Accountability in Global Environmental Governance.’ Susan was the Chair of the Environmental Studies Section of the ISA from 2015 to 2017. You can follow Susan on Twitter @spark_syd.

Keynote Presentation for IWACP 2020

On the 26th of May 2020, the Ninth International Workshop on Advances in Cleaner Production was held in Melbourne. You can listen to my keynote presentation, ‘Addressing Environmental and Social Harm through the Independent Accountability Mechanisms of the Multilateral Development Banks,’ which is part of my project on the independent accountability mechanisms.

The invited Keynote Speaker Susan Park presents her research, entitled 'Protecting Environmental Rights through International Grievance Mechanisms?', in the ...