The Climate Crisis, Renewable Energy, and the Changing Landscape of Global Energy Politics

Abstract This essay reviews three recent books on the changing landscape of global energy politics in era climate change. Key questions that authors investigate include: how will renewable transition reshape balance power? How political-economic interdependencies and geopolitical alignments shift? Will contemporary petro-states adapt or collapse? And what new patterns peace conflict may emerge a decarbonized world order? The provide different perspectives likely speed its implications. However, they occlude deeper about depth transformations needed to prevent catastrophe—particularly nature capitalism military power—and potential for more radical futures. In contrast, I argue we should advance critical research agenda accounts possibility far-reaching political-economic, military, ideological bases highlights diverse movements fighting their realization. These possible include (1) transitions post-growth political economies; (2) shrinkage emissions-intensive military–industrial complexes; (3) decolonizing ideologies “progress.” If struggles alternative futures beyond hegemony economic growth Western-style modernization are at forefront today, then these deserve greater attention from IR scholars.