In the pursuit of socialism, Cuba became Latin America's most
oil-dependent economy. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the country lost
86 percent of its crude oil supplies, resulting in a severe energy
crisis. In the face of this shock, Cuba started to develop a low-carbon
economy based on economic and social reform rather than high-tech
innovation. The Low-Carbon Contradiction examines this period of rapid
low-carbon energy transition, which many have described as a "Cuban
miracle" or even a real-life case of successful "degrowth." Working with
original research from inside households, workplaces, universities, and
government offices, Gustav Cederlöf retells the history of the Cuban
Revolution as one of profound environmental and infrastructural change.
In doing so, he opens up new questions about energy transitions, their
politics, and the conditions of a socially just low-carbon future. The
Cuban experience shows how a society can transform itself while rapidly
cutting carbon emissions in the search for sustainability.