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

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.