In response to the climate change emergency, a growing number of countries, business enterprises and other stakeholders worldwide have announced, or are currently developing, plans to implement net-zero emission and energy transition programs. Yet, concerns have emerged on how the design and implementation of such programs may further exacerbate social exclusion, worsen energy poverty levels and constrain access to land and other resources in already vulnerable and marginalized communities. Against this backdrop, the question arises as to how to achieve a just transition, i.e., a transition to a green and climate-neutral economy which is fair, inclusive, creates decent working opportunities and upholds the rights of local communities through social dialogue and stakeholder engagement. 

This special issue of the Business and Human Rights Journal (BHRJ) will bring together diverse academic and practitioner perspectives to explore the relationship between the human rights responsibility of business and just transition in the extractive and energy industries. The guest editors seek contributions -- especially those with an interdisciplinary focus – that advance the current understanding of the role of business and human rights (BHR) norms and regulations in how states, business, investors and other stakeholders are driving, achieving or failing just transition in the energy and extractive industries.

Paper contributions
The guest editors invite original paper proposals from academics and practitioners on theoretical and practical solutions to BHR challenges in the context of just transition and the human rights responsibility of the extractive and energy industries. Both scholarly articles and developments-in-the-field (DiF) pieces are welcome, and contributions from Global South scholars are especially encouraged.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• the role of BHR norms and practice towards just transition
• implementation of BHR norms in extractive contracts, concessions and procurement practices
• the potential and limitations of due diligence legal frameworks and national action plans on BHR in relation to the energy and extractive industries
• modern slavery, supply chains issues and environment, social and governance (ESG) risks in energy transition initiatives
• gender, intersectional and other vunerability-sensitive approaches in energy transition initiatives
• BHR issues related to economic diversification initiatives in the energy and extractive industries
• social dialogue and meaningful stakeholder engagement in relation to climate mitigation measures and energy transition programs
• access to remedy for affected communities in net-zero projects in the extractive and energy industries
• role of civil society-led accountability and responsibility mechanisms (e.g., trackers, benchmarking, litigation) on BHR practices of extractive and energy industries in the context of the ongoing transition.

Abstract submission and timelines
Please send an abstract of no more than 500 words by 30 May 2023 to ogeesacc@gmail.com specifying author(s), affiliation, email, draft title, and a brief summary of the intended paper. Please indicate clearly whether your abstract is for a scholarly article or a DiF piece.

• Scholarly articles should offer original and in-depth academic research and be approximately 9,000-12,000 words long (inclusive of footnotes, abstract, title and appendices).
• DiF pieces should be 2,000-3,000 words long and be focused on timely and current milestones, innovations or other developments in the field of BHR and related areas. Ideally, the focus should be on capturing a concrete and specific development or series of developments on just transition in the energy and extractive industries.
• All submissions should follow the BHRJ style guide.

The anticipated timelines for the special issue are as follows:

1. Deadline for submission of abstracts – 30 May 2023
2. Abstract selection and invitation to submit full paper – 30 June 2023
3. Deadline to submit first drafts – 30 November 2023
4. Publication date –2024 or early 2025

Guest Editors

• Damilola S Olawuyi, SAN, Professor and UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar; Vice Chair, United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights.
• Claire Bright, Associate Professor in Private Law and Vice-Dean of NOVA School of Law, Founder and Director of the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment, NOVA Law School, Lisbon, Portugal.
• Samentha Goethals, Assistant Professor in Business & Society, SKEMA Business School, Centre on Sustainability Studies, Sophia Antipolis, France.
• Qaraman Mohammed Hassan, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, United States of America.