Other – Just Transition Initiative

What is "Just Transition"?

Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Mar 2019

Just transitions/Design for transitions: Preliminary Notes on a Design Politics for a Green New deal

This article argues that the field of design for transitions should be brought into dialogues pushing for just transitions to best meet the technical, cultural, political, and economic needs of a low-carbon future.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General; Land-use
Focus Areas: Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: Green New Deal; creative labor; redirective practice; capitalism; neoliberalism; political economy; design; design for transitions
By: Damian White
Publishing Organization: Capitalism Nature Socialism
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: This article makes a case for incorporating design politics into just transitions. The author argues that the discourses and movements for just transitions and design for transition have low levels of overlap at present; however, they would greatly benefit from increased collaboration to better meet the needs of a low-carbon economy.

The article first explores the transformation of just transition discourses, as well as the diverse, and sometimes, conflicting visions of what a just transition looks like, and how it should be implemented. The author also traces the dialogues surrounding the contribution of design and modes of design futuring in the shift to sustainability. The author argues that applying design to just transitions approaches can expand the scope of the possible visions for a low-carbon, high-quality future by incorporating elements of prototyping, prefiguring, speculative thinking, and scenario building.

The author concludes with several examples of how design approaches could contribute to just transitions. One such example is in the case of intensified land displacement due to expanding renewable energy technologies. Participatory design and social planning for the energy transition could help prevent green grabbing and better address the social and environmental challenges of the renewable energy transition. The author argues that these approaches and other modes of design politics will make low-carbon transitions more just.

Report/Case Study; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Jun 2021

Assessing vulnerability from coal dependence and need for a just transition

This paper identifies the linkages that surround the Indian coal economy as well as the possible economic, societal, and cultural repercussions of a coal phaseout in the major coal mining states.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Mining
Focus Areas: Employment > Job creation and/or equality; Environment and/or pollution > Nature; Government intervention > Public finance, Regulation; Inequality and/or poverty > Gender inequality; Investment > ESG and corporate engagement; Social and/or cultural impacts > Non-financial loss, Other
Keywords: Coal communities; tribal women; health insurance; income inequality; informal sector; CSR revenue; state revenue; community identity; livelihood alternatives; social capital of land; illegal mining; legislative gaps; energy democracy
By: Souvik Bhattacharjya, Ruchi Gupta, G. Mini, Saswata Chaudhury, Mani Juneja, Kartikey Sharma
Publishing Organization: The Energy and Resources Institure (TERI)
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: This paper—the first of a two-part release from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)—lays out the socioeconomic and environmental contexts of the coal economy in India. The authors highlight the detrimental impacts that the phaseout is likely to have on: the livelihoods and social surplus across coal-dependent states; the coal royalties that make up a significant portion of the no-tax revenue for a state; the stoppage of social empowerment initiatives and infrastructural losses; along with the unintended losses of the financial and social structures functioning within the gray market of the coal mining industry.

The authors also draw out the disproportionate impact on women and the vulnerable within these communities expected from the phaseout. The authors contend that in a mixed economy like India, a just transition takes utmost precedence, because it not only aims to formalize the deeply informal coal sector, but also seeks to achieve the critical characteristics needed to fulfill the notion of an “energy democracy”. The paper also discusses how the existing regulatory framework cannot comprehensively handle the complex interlinkages that exist within the subsector of the informal mining segment, part of which is both licensed and illegal and part of which is artisanal in nature.

Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Nov 2019

Transitioning to Sustainable Agriculture Requires Growing and Sustaining an Ecologically Skilled Workforce

The authors suggest that agribusiness practices in the United States that pursue productivity as the primary goal, have been trending in an unsustainable direction and propose that place-based knowledge development, agroecological practices, and decentralized decision-making are key to sustainability in the agricultural sector.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Agriculture
Focus Areas: Employment > Skills, Social protections; Environment and/or pollution > Nature; Government intervention > Regulation; Inequality and/or poverty > Gender inequality, Other; Justice; Social and/or cultural impacts > Non-financial loss, Other
Keywords: ecologically-skilled people; biodiversity loss; agroecological farming systems; knowledge intensive management; monoculture; diversified cropping and livestock systems; social sustainability; place-based knowledge; farmer-to farmer networks; price controls; conservation measures; direct subsidies; agribusiness; decentralized governance; Green New Deal; gender and race based inequalities; skills development
By: Liz Carlisle, Maywa Montenegro de Wit, Marcia S. DeLonge, Alastair Iles, Adam Calo, Christy Getz, Joanna Ory, Katherine Munden-Dixon, Ryan Galt, Brett Melone, Reggie Knox, Daniel Press
Publishing Organization: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: The article argues that agricultural practices in the U.S. are unsustainable and unjust to farmers, largely because of agribusiness and supporting policies. Over the past century, U.S. agriculture has been trending in an unsustainable direction, rapidly replacing knowledgeable people with non-renewable resources and eroding rural economies in the process. The authors suggest that U.S. policies, technologies, and economic pressures have tended to “deskill” rural labor—a trend that has been linked to labor under capitalism in general. They cite a national census that counted 6.5 million farms in the 1920s, with only 2.04 million left by 2017.

The authors argue that agroecological farming systems mimicking natural ecosystems that create tightly-coupled cycles of energy, water, and nutrients are already known to farmers and researchers. As such, they offer a well-studied pathway to an agricultural transition. A critical and under-appreciated feature of agroecological systems is that they replace fossil fuel- and chemical -intensive management with knowledge-intensive management. The authors argue that the biggest challenge in achieving agricultural sustainability is the replacement of non-renewable resources with ecologically-skilled people in ways that create and support desirable rural livelihoods.

The authors suggest ways in which U.S. policy could pivot to enable and support the ecologically skilled workforce needed to achieve food security and decent livelihoods. They highlight the need to: provide enabling conditions for new farmers to enter the system and sustain a decent livelihood; develop agroecological skills and supporting policy tools (or removal of policies that currently act as a barrier); decouple farmers from the trap of overproduction and low market prices; and strengthen farmer-to-farmer networks to promote knowledge exchange. The authors also briefly lay out the history of discrimination and injustice in the agricultural system in the U.S. and highlight the need for a foundational commitment to justice to guide the allocation of resources, affirm rights, and prioritize the agricultural needs of historically marginalized groups.

Academic paper/Definitions and Concepts; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Dec 2018

How Local Energy Initiatives Develop Technological Innovations: Growing an Actor Network

This article describes the outcome of studies conducted to understand how socio-technical innovations for energy transitions can emerge at the local level.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Energy; Land-use
Focus Areas: Government intervention > Regulation; Resilience; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: Grassroots innovation; energy cooperatives; local energy initiatives; community energy; technological configuration; sociology of translation; actor network theory
By: Esther C. van der Waal, Henny J. van der Windt, Ellen C. J. van Oost
Publishing Organization: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: This article explores innovative approaches adopted by local energy initiatives to create networks that enable grassroots technological innovations to facilitate the local energy transition to a more sustainable system. The authors examine the different components, actors, and phases of a project initiation to better understand how relationships at the grassroot levels can be built to enable these innovations. They conclude with lessons on how local energy initiatives can improve their networking capabilities.

Through various theories such as the “actor-network theory”, the authors seek to understand how local-level technological innovations are developed and identify the key elements influencing the process. They then analyze the development of networks in four stages during which ideas are conceptualized, problematized, interpositioned , and substantiated. Furthermore, they highlight the power imbalance that often emerges between energy initiatives and other stakeholders, such as banks, arguing that this could lead to a one-side-relationship that can further complicate network building. In addition, they discuss the importance of non-human “actants”, such as the environment, money, and other materials, during project development. Next, they also examine the innovation process by using case studies to better understand how local energy initiatives engage with different stakeholders.

Finally, the authors conclude with lessons on how grassroot-level energy initiatives can better develop socio-technical innovations for renewable energy, while harnessing local opportunities and talents. They argue that more scrutiny is needed at the start of a project to make it convincing, and even more importantly, to ensure all aspects of the project are well-aligned. In addition, they offer recommendations for future research to: scale up evidence on socio-technical innovations across the world; provide conceptual guidance on how relationships between stakeholders are built; and better understand existing policy frameworks that support these innovations.

Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Apr 2020

Equity, Climate Justice and Fossil Fuel Extraction: Principles for a Managed Phase Out

This paper offers general principles and policy insights to help the international community equitably manage the social dimensions of a rapid transition away from fossil-fuel extraction.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Energy; Mining
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Industry and/or sector assistance or plans; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections; Environment and/or pollution > Human health, Nature; Government intervention > Public finance, Regulation; Investment > Competitiveness, ESG and corporate engagement; Justice; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: equity; public revenue; transition loss; fossil fuel dependence; common but differentiated responsibilities; global commons; international climate politics; environmental justice; human rights
By: Greg Muttitt, Sivan Kartha
Publishing Organization: Climate Policy
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: This paper explores how to equitably manage the social dimensions of a rapid transition away from fossil-fuel extraction within international climate politics. It analyzes equity issues related to fossil-fuel extraction and efforts to curb it in accordance with climate targets. The authors examine three common equity approaches from the literature, from which they derive guiding principles and policy recommendations for managing this global challenge.

The authors review the distributional issues arising from the phaseout of fossil-fuel extraction and argue that meeting international climate targets will require a more strategic approach to accelerating transitions in both Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and non-OECD countries. They then examine the implications of fossil-fuel extraction for employment, public revenues, and energy provision, examining how extraction activities can be both a “blessing” and a “curse.”

The authors then discuss three equity frameworks that appear in the broader climate-policy literature: allocating carbon budgets based on economic efficiency, development needs, and “fair shares” of global transitional efforts. Drawing from this analysis, they propose five principles for managing concerns related to equity and climate change, touching on questions surrounding the cost and pace of transitions, as well as the distributional impacts at various levels of government. They conclude with policy suggestions for how to apply these principles in practice.

Report/Definitions and Concepts; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Mar 2020

Incorporating Just Transition Strategies in Developing Country Nationally Determined Contributions

This report examines how developing countries can incorporate just transition principles into their revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to enable more ambitious and equitable emissions reduction strategies.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections; Government intervention > Regulation; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: template; structural unemployment; labor market strategies; Latin America; Global South; Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); informal economy
By: Peter Glynn, Andrzej Błachowicz, Mark Nicholls
Publishing Organization: Climate Strategies
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: This report explores how low- and middle-income countries can incorporate just transitions principles into their revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement goals. Writing for an intended audience of policymakers involved in drafting NDCs for developing countries, the authors explain the evolution of the just transitions concept and provide guidance on incorporating just transition language into NDCs. They suggest a timeline for each stage of the process and identify the resources available to assist in implementation.

Given the common perception that the just transitions concept is mainly relevant to developed countries, this report aims to link just transitions to the circumstances and needs of low- and middle-income countries. The report presents a brief overview of the just transition concept, its evolution and how it became embedded in the UN climate process during the Paris Agreement. The authors explain the importance of incorporating just transitions into NDCs. They call for countries to undertake labor market reforms, identify sectors that will be affected by climate change policies, and engage with all stakeholders to address those impacts.

The authors also present a just transitions “toolbox” developed by the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24), organizing suggestions and best practices into three groups: transition of the labor market, sustainable production and consumption, and inclusive transitions.

Report/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Jan 2018

Brown to Green: The G20 Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy

This report examines the progress made by the G20 countries in their transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies and addresses the need for a just transition.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Industry and/or sector assistance or plans; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections; Government intervention > Regulation; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: decarbonization; compensation; national plans
By: Jan Burck, Jasmin Cantzler, Guy Cunliffe, Lena Donat, Sofia Gonzales-Zuñiga, Bill Hare, Niklas Höhne, Jiang Kejun, Gerd Leipold, Karan Mangotra, Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis, Alexandre Magnan, Andrew Marquard, Bryce McCall, Yuji Mizuno, Erina Mursanti, Leonie Neier, Gereon tho Pesch, Hannah Schindler, Thomas Spencer, Fabby Tumiwa, Lola Vallejo, Leah Worrall, Charlene Watson, Shelagh Whitley, William Wills, Harald Winkler, Jorge Villarreal, Akihisa Kuriyama
Publishing Organization: Climate Transparency
Inter-governmental/international organization
Summary: This report from Climate Transparency reviews climate actions by the Group of Twenty (G20) states, assessing their transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies. The report questions whether the G20 countries are on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, documenting leaders and laggards.

The report finds that current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would lead to a global temperature increase of around 3.2 degrees Celsius. The authors outline the progress made by G20 countries since the Paris Agreement based on several decarbonization indicators. They criticize nearly all G20 countries for not implementing climate mitigation policies more aggressively, calling on them to institute a 50% emissions cut by 2030 to reach Paris Agreement goals.

The report analyzes several just transition initiatives in G20 countries to identify lessons learned. In Canada, for example, a federal task force developed a just transition plan for coal workers and communities, and the Chinese government seeks to allocate $4.5 billion over the next three years to support the closure of small coal mines. Australia, on the other hand, negotiated a comprehensive agreement with the Victoria government and three privately owned power stations to reduce job losses rather than manage their effects.

Report/Definitions and Concepts; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Jan 2020

Just Transition: A Social Route To Sustainability

This report introduces the concept of just transitions, outlines their role in providing a social route to sustainability, and provides new guiding principles for policymakers.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Industry and/or sector assistance or plans; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections; Government intervention > Public finance, Regulation; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: European Green Deal; Just Transition fund; media coverage; coronavirus; trade unions; green growth
Publishing Organization: Social Europe Publishing, Hans Bockler Stiftung, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation
Academic/research institution or journal, Non-profit organization/civil society organization
Summary: This report consists of 16 short essays explaining the concept and application of just transitions through discussion of various just transition policies such as the European Green Deal. These contributions from European and international government officials and trade union leaders advocate collective action and engagement with affected communities to draw on their knowledge and perspectives.

The concept of just transitions has gained popularity in the last few decades but remains poorly understood. The report describes just transitions as a bridge between the current world—in which the gap between the rich and the poor enables outsourcing of environmental damage of all kinds—and a world in which “human well-being is improved,” not just growth. It calls for designing fair socioecological policies that not only aim to reduce pollution but also address inequality and social injustice.

In addition, the report emphasizes the need to mobilize resources such as the European Union’s Just Transition Fund and develop the right tools for an inclusive approach to climate change and social issues. It describes sustainability as a core principle for just transitions, urging the European Green Deal to “integrate all dimensions of sustainability,” including social, environmental, and economic aspects. The authors criticize a lack of media coverage of the issues and maintain that stronger public support is needed to combat climate change and improve environmental justice.

Report/Definitions and Concepts; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Jan 2019

Solidarity and Just Transition: Summary Report of Actions

This report summarizes the priorities of Poland’s presidency of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and provides recommendations to help advance just transitions and solidarity strategies.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Industry and/or sector assistance or plans; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections; Government intervention > Regulation; Inequality and/or poverty > Gender inequality, Other; Investment > Other; Resilience; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: solidarity; inclusive transitions; sustainable production and consumption; Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration
Publishing Organization: Bureau of COP24 Presidency, Poland Ministry of the Environment
Government, Inter-governmental/international organization
Summary: This report summarizes Poland’s presidency of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) and its focus on “People and Climate – Solidarity and Just Transition.” The report aims to inspire dialogue among governments, the private sector, and civil society on practical implementation of solidarity (defined as collaborative global efforts to tackle climate change) and just transitions.

The report calls for a unified approach to tackle both climate and social well-being and urges policymakers to be proactive in adopting strategies based on inclusive dialogue and planning processes. It encourages stakeholders to anticipate and promote changes through economic development, skillset training, and investment.

The report includes recommendations on how to advance just transition and solidarity strategies by incorporating region- and sector-specific approaches. Such strategies should engage many actors, including national, regional, and municipal governments, as well as workers, civil society, businesses, youth, and women.

Report/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Jun 2015

Power to the People: Toward Democratic Control of Electricity Generation

This report offers a trade union perspective on the need to increase public ownership of energy assets and production in the United States by expanding the role of energy cooperatives, reforming utilities, and establishing a Renewable Energy Administration.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Energy
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Infrastructure investment; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Social protections; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Investment > Other; Justice; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: energy democracy; energy cooperatives; solidarity economy; energy liberalization; remunicipalization; public works; decentralization; utilities; equity; trade unions
By: Sean Sweeney, Kylie Benton-Connell, Lara Skinner
Publishing Organization: Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED), The Worker Institute at Cornell, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Foundation
Labor organization
Summary: These four short papers seek to define “energy democracy,” a term used by labor unions to characterize greater public ownership of energy assets and production. The authors address various potential dimensions of energy democracy: increased public ownership of energy assets, a larger role for energy cooperatives, reform of utilities, and the creation of a new Renewable Energy Administration.

The authors argue that market forces and cost competitiveness alone will not be sufficient to advance a shift to renewable energy. They contend that unions and social movements will have to spearhead the required “non-market, needs-based approaches.” The report explores the role of energy cooperatives, including the structure and financing options for such groups. They cite successful case studies, including the Volkswagen Staff Association for Regenerative Energy in Germany. However, they note that a shift from centralized utilities to cooperatively owned energy could pose certain challenges for labor unions, such as undermining fair wages by relying more heavily on volunteer labor.

The third section focuses on “re-municipalization” as a means to increase renewable energy growth and counter resistance from utilities. The final paper outlines the role for unions in supporting a “public goods” approach to clean energy and argues that lessons learned from the New Deal should be applied in creating a new Renewable Energy Administration.