PhD researcher focuses on clean energy justice for underserved communities

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Emmanuel Taiwo developed a deep interest in how environmental and social issues intersect to influence lived experiences and outcomes for different communities.

During his undergraduate studies at the University of Lagos, Taiwo noticed how different educational and economic backgrounds shaped behaviors around sustainable practices, such as food waste and energy conservation.

“Growing up, it was fascinating to me how people from various income levels lived side by side but experienced distinct inequalities,” says Taiwo, who is now a doctoral researcher in the department of physical and environmental sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

“The injustices and inequalities we see in society often result from policy failures, where the needs of underserved communities—whether energy, climate or the broader environment—are neglected.”

His interests led him to pursue graduate degrees in sustainable environmental management and public policy at the University of Greenwich and University of Oxford, respectively.

He went on to garner a decade of experience as a climate and sustainability advisor, holding advisory roles with organizations such as the UN Environment Program in Kenya and the U.K. government’s department for international development.

Among his most rewarding experiences: serving as lead adviser for the Solar Nigeria Program, a U.K.-funded initiative that uses off-grid solar energy to power public health and education facilities in Nigeria—and provided energy access to almost a million people.

“While one million may seem like a small number compared to Nigeria’s population [more than 200 million], it was pleasing to work on this rewarding project and help underserved communities access to clean energy,” Taiwo says.

Taiwo’s doctoral dissertation—at U of T Scarborough’s IMPACT Lab—examines clean energy innovations and access to energy retrofits in underserved Greater Toronto Area neighborhoods.

To that end, Taiwo will partner with GTA-based non-profits focused on energy projects, taking a community-oriented equity approach, and will explore the challenges faced by non-government actors.

In a new paper published in Energy Research & Social Science, Taiwo and his doctoral supervisor, Assistant Professor Laura Tozer, outline the concept of community energy justice, emphasizing the need for collaboration with community actors to foster equity and justice in energy transitions.

“The lack of entry points into communities lies in the distrust,” Taiwo says. “My approach to research will foster collaborations with civic and non-governmental actors to engage communities where trust is already being established. It’s going to be ethical and respectful, while upholding the dignity of these groups.”

It’s a line of research that’s of crucial importance, considering that approximately 1.1 million households in Ontario experience energy poverty, according to a 2021 report by the Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners

Another project sees Taiwo collaborate with Patricia Romero-Lankao, a professor in U of T Scarborough’s department of sociology, on an eight-year research program examining equitable sustainability transitions in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

He is also a research fellow at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, where he investigates the intersections between AI, equitable climate and energy transitions.

Taiwo says he’s grateful for the range of opportunities that have continued to inform his work since coming to U of T.

“I knew that I wanted to build on my research skills and deepen my expertise,” Taiwo says. “The opportunities that I have received so far are indicators that I’m doing something right—and there is so much work to be done.”