Just energy transition in Ghana: community experiences from the fossil-fuel hub in the Ellembelle District

Introduction This study examines community-level experiences of just energy transition policy in Ghana's Ellembelle District. Applying an energy justice framework, it interrogates the distributional, procedural, and recognition justice dimensions of transition implementation. Methods A qualitative design engaged 127 participants through six focus group discussions, 15 key informant interviews, 18 expert consultations with Ghana Gas Company personnel, and three community town hall meetings conducted between February and April 2025. Results Findings reveal systematic exclusion of residents from skilled employment despite communities hosting major energy infrastructure. Centralized recruitment in Accra imposes structural barriers that marginalize economically vulnerable populations approximately 250 km from decision-making centers. Local content regulations remain poorly enforced, with district assemblies lacking the authority to monitor compliance. Communities experience energy access paradoxes, hosting gas-processing facilities while unable to afford processed fuels. Procedural justice deficits pervade corporate social responsibility project selection, environmental management, and transition planning. Traditional authorities are marginalized despite holding legitimate governance roles. Discussion These findings demonstrate how transitions reproduce historical inequities when justice principles remain unimplemented locally. Ellembelle illustrates a pattern identifiable across sub-Saharan African fossil fuel contexts: the concentration of extractive burdens alongside exclusion from transition benefits. Achieving socially just outcomes requires prioritizing distributional equity, procedural inclusion, and recognition of local governance systems.