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Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.
Alyssa Katsuyama Wang*1, Ji-Tong Lin2, Shou-Cheng Wang3
1Taipei American School, Zhongshan N. Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Email: cka200812@gmail.com | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2454-8005
2Hot Spring and Renewable Resources Center, Tainan City, Taiwan.
Email: enjoy135530@gmail.com | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0203-0646
3Taiwan Geothermal Resources Development Association, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Email: geothermalbnl@gmail.com
*Corresponding author
Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 837-855. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080239
Received: 15 July 2025
Reviewed: 13 August 2025
Provisionally Accepted: 15 August 2025
Revised: 17 August 2025
Finally Accepted: 20 August 2025
Published: 30 August 2025
As the global energy transition accelerates to combat climate change, the development of renewable resources often raises critical social justice issues. This is particularly evident in Taiwan, where approximately 79% of geothermal zones overlap with Indigenous territories.This study examines challenges to Indigenous rights and social justice during geothermal energy development, which adds value to existing hot springs but risks replicating past conflicts and injustices. By comparing the "top-down" approach in the Hongye community and the "bottom-up" response in the Jinlun area, we analyzed challenges of implementing the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) framework while respecting Indigenous rights. We found that tribal consultations led by local governments or corporations prioritize efficiency over consent. Legal loopholes have been exploited to circumvent consultation, which exacerbates conflict within tribes. We propose a "holistic just transition" framework to supplement conventional procedural, distributive, and recognition justice: "restorative justice" to heal historical trauma, "epistemic sovereignty" to legitimize Indigenous knowledge, and "self-determination" as a community goal. We conceptualize the "social value of energy" and argue that project evaluation must move beyond economic indicators. Finally, we construct a typology of three development models: the Compensatory Model, the Negotiated Coexistence Model, and the Empowerment Partnership Model. To achieve a just and sustainable transition, Taiwan should evolve from the first two models toward the third, which positions Indigenous peoples as co-owners and decision-makers.
Just transition; Geothermal development; Indigenous rights; Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)
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Wang, A.K., Lin, J.T. and Wang, S.C. (2025). Social Justice and Indigenous Rights in the Energy Transition: An Examination of Taiwan’s Geothermal Development and International Perspectives. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 837-855. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080239
Wang, A.K., Lin, J.T., & Wang, S.C. (2025). Social Justice and Indigenous Rights in the Energy Transition: An Examination of Taiwan’s Geothermal Development and International Perspectives. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2), 837-855. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080239
Wang A.K., Lin J.T., Wang, S.C. Social Justice and Indigenous Rights in the Energy Transition: An Examination of Taiwan’s Geothermal Development and International Perspectives. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (2),837-855. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080239
Wang, Alyssa Katsuyama, Lin, Ji-Tong, Wang, Shou-Cheng. 2025. “Social Justice and Indigenous Rights in the Energy Transition: An Examination of Taiwan’s Geothermal Development and International Perspectives”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 2: 837-855. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080239
Wang, Alyssa Katsuyama, Ji-Tong Lin and Shou-Cheng Wang. 2025. “Social Justice and Indigenous Rights in the Energy Transition: An Examination of Taiwan’s Geothermal Development and International Perspectives”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (2): 837-855. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080239
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