The installation of wind turbines and solar parks in valued rural landscapes has led to local concerns and perceived injustices to the extent that the societal acceptance of the energy transition is at stake. Although the literature on energy justice is blooming, research into citizens' understandings of justice with regards to regional energy transitions is rare. This paper examines the aspects citizens consider relevant when discussing a just energy transition in a regional context. Eleven focus groups, including 42 participants with various backgrounds, were conducted in four cities in the province of Overijssel, the Netherlands. The results show that citizens express justice claims by referring to spaces, places, and scales both within and beyond the region. From the perspective of citizens, regional energy transitions are both influenced by, and have an impact on, existing socio-spatial inequalities at multiple levels, ranging from households to the entire world. Citizens also acknowledge that energy policies and changes made at one scale can create injustices at other scales, referring to the different impacts national subsidies have on rich and poor neighborhoods, or to different effects of implementing renewable energy facilities on rural landscapes and urban regions. Our findings illustrate the multi-scalar character of justice concerns in regional energy transitions. A better understanding of the spatial justice considerations that are fundamental to the concerns of citizens can help improve policy processes and communication about regional energy transitions. ... Read more

Rebound effects remain an overlooked but critical challenge in circular economy transitions. While existing research predominantly frames rebound effects as economic, behavioural or technological phenomena, these perspectives fail to fully account for the social and material dynamics through which rebounds emerge. This commentary argues that social practice theories offer a more systemic approach to understanding rebound effects by shifting focus from individual decision-making and efficiency gains to the interconnections between everyday practices, temporal and spatial reordering, and systems of provision. We outline four key conceptual resources from social practice theories – recrafting practices, practice interconnections, temporal and spatial reordering, and systems of provision – that help explain how rebound effects unfold within circular consumption. We also discuss the methodological challenges of integrating social and material assessments of rebounds. Moving forward, we call for interdisciplinary and practice-based research to deepen empirical investigations into how circular consumption practices evolve and how their unintended consequences can be anticipated and mitigated. By embedding practice-theoretical insights into rebound research, future research and policies can contribute to more effective and systemic approaches to circular transformation.

This Commentary is part of a Special Issue titled, Everyday Circularities: Rethinking Consumption in the Circular Transformations, edited by Kersty Hobson and Mary Greene. ... Read more