Legacy, memory and pathways: Implications for post-carbon rural futures from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

After the early 1980s, industrial and public policy restructuring in many OECD countries led to patterns of intense uneven development across rural resource regions. This restructuring triggered population decline in some regions and ongoing boom-bust dynamics in others. Common to both scenarios were underinvestment in critical development infrastructure that has reduced community and regional capacity and entrenched economic dependencies. Change towards a more carbon-neutral economy has been difficult, as government policy, transportation networks, labour, and local and regional governments remain tied to the structures of carbon-intensive industries. Our paper explores the impact of these legacies on what will be the next significant rural transition: the complex and multi-scalar challenges associated with the decarbonization of economies, societies, and their energy systems in rural and Indigenous communities and regions. In addition to the structural conditions associated with the transition to post-carbon rural futures, places and place memories can influence the timing and trajectories of change. Through a framework of legacies, memories and pathways, we explore the tensions and complex interplay between the structural conditions of change and how past rural, remote, and Indigenous legacies may shape the move to carbon-neutral policy implementation in coal communities in three contexts, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. • After the early 1980s, industrial and public policy restructuring triggered population decline in some regions, ongoing boom-bust dynamics in others, underinvestment in critical infrastructure, reduced community and regional capacity, and entrenched economic dependencies. • Our paper focuses on the impact of these legacies on the next significant rural transition: the complex and multi-scalar challenges associated with the decarbonization of economies, societies, and energy systems in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. • Findings suggest that change towards a more carbon-neutral economy is difficult as government policy, transportation networks, labour, and local and regional governments remain tied to the structures of carbon-intensive industries. • In addition to the structural conditions associated with the transition to post-carbon rural futures, places and place memories can influence the timing and trajectories of change.