In this final episode, we consider recent proposals to take the fossil fuel industry into the public ownership: specifically, into the ownership of a national government. These proposals argue that nationalization towards a managed phaseout of the industry allows countries to transition and democratize our energy systems in a just and effective manner, through central planning. This means we can support workers in the energy sector in training for new jobs as we transition, and ensure clean-up happens in marginalized, often racialized communities who have been on the frontlines of extraction. It would allow us to democratize control over our energy systems, allowing local communities to make decisions over their lives and neighborhoods. In short, advocates argue that it would allow us to finally put people before profit.

There are a number of pathways to nationalization. In Shell’s case, as a British and Dutch-owned company, we will explore where such a nationalization might take place, and a few of the mechanisms, as well as various implications of public ownership. Would a nationalization mitigate global warming to 1.5C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement? How can we ensure we actually wind Shell down once we take it into public ownership? How might nationalization support fossil fuel workers in a transition?

We also hope to explore the consequences of nationalization in terms of reproducing global colonial dynamics. For example, Nigeria is a former British colony, and its economy is heavily tied to oil production through Shell. This same industry has destroyed watersheds, ecologies and fisheries which local communities depend on. Would these communities and others worldwide be considered, in a nationalization process that might take place in the UK or the Netherlands?

In this final episode of the season, we are joined by two guests. We have Carla Santos Skandier, manager of the Climate and Energy Program at the Democracy Collaborative who has worked extensively on the case to nationalize the fossil fuel industry. We also welcome Dr. Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, who has written in both public and academic spaces on climate colonialism.

Show notes

Reports and resources on nationalizing the fossil fuel industry:

https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/OutofTime.pdf

https://newrepublic.com/article/156941/moderate-proposal-nationalize-fossil-fuel-industry

https://thenextsystem.org/learn/stories/case-public-ownership-fossil-fuel-industry

Article on the nationalization of Shell:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/07/its-time-to-nationalize-shell-private-oil-companies-are-no-longer-fit-for-purpose

Carla refers to the PPP program, this is the Payment Protection Program.

Olufemi Taiwo on climate colonialism: https://theconversation.com/how-a-green-new-deal-could-exploit-developing-countries-111726