recognition – Just Transition Initiative

What is "Just Transition"?

Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Aug 2016

Exploring Power and Procedural Justice Within Climate Compatible Development Project Design: Whose Priorities Are Being Considered?

The authors explore how climate-compatible development design processes reconcile stakeholder preferences and procedural justice, using a case study analysis of two donor-funded projects in Malawi.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Justice
Keywords: project design; procedural justice; participation; recognition; Multi-stakeholder Preferences; stated preference; true preference; power cube approach
By: Benjamin T. Wood, Andrew J. Dougill, Claire H. Quinn, Lindsay C. Stringer
Publishing Organization: Journal of Environment & Development
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: The authors explore procedural justice and power in project design through a case study analysis of two donor-funded projects in Malawi. They find that “top-down” and “expert-led” design processes and hidden power dynamics often result in the selective involvement of stakeholders, and that over time, the dependency on funding has led to the institutionalization of the donor project design preferences in the practices of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). While a considerable overlap exists between the stakeholders’ “revealed” priorities, invisible power dynamics encourage the suppression of “true” preferences. Therefore, visible, hidden, and invisible forms of power create barriers to procedural justice in climate-compatible development design in these projects.

The authors also present a theoretical framework that is meant to facilitate a holistic exploration of power and procedural justice in project design. Specifically, they used the “power cube” approach as a starting point to facilitate the understanding of participatory and procedural justice “spaces”, through which stakeholders can meaningfully engage with governance systems, along with the visible, hidden, and invisible power dynamics that delimit these spaces. The framework facilitates multilevel analyses, thereby enabling the investigation of whether and how the procedural justice spaces, open to stakeholders, differ across these dimensions.

The authors suggest that policymakers and practitioners can facilitate the patterns of procedural justice, if they put local priorities first, make participatory assessments robust and reflexive, take steps to reconcile worldviews, and harness co-production between professional stakeholders. Furthermore, to create pathways toward procedural justice, policymakers must avoid making design decisions on the basis of epistemological certainties and embrace discursive solutions.

Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations; Policy Tools or Evaluations

Jan 2021

Mitigating inequality with emissions? Exploring energy justice and financing transitions to low carbon energy in Indonesia

This article analyzes energy justice in Indonesia’s transition to low-carbon energy and explores how policies have exacerbated energy injustice.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Energy
Focus Areas: Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Investment > Private finance; Justice
Keywords: energy justice; energy poverty; climate finance; private finance; procedural justice; recognition
By: Abidah B. Setyowati
Publishing Organization: Energy Research & Social Science
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: This article explores Indonesia’s efforts to reduce energy poverty in its transition to low-carbon energy, with a particular focus on how distributive, procedural, and recognition justice has been included in policies aimed at increasing private investment in renewable energy electrification. Based on the analysis derived from qualitative interviews, field observation, and the review of government documents and policies, the author argues that despite Indonesia’s energy justice agenda of providing access to affordable electricity for all, the policies in place do not effectively promote energy justice.

In terms of distributive justice, the author argues that spatial injustice in electricity access is still prevalent, especially in the eastern part of Indonesia, where many communities lack reliable energy access. The author suggests that many renewable rural electrification projects may exacerbate this spatial inequality by supplying households and cities that have access to a grid network, while neglecting communities that live closest to the electricity generation sites. This is partly due to the government’s encouragement of private investment that favors large-scale projects, thereby further exacerbating geographic inequalities. The author argues that procedural injustice is also prevalent in the energy decision-making processes due to a lack of transparency in the current bidding and procurement processes and limited space for the public participation and engagement in decisions. In terms of recognition, the author asserts that marginalized communities living in areas, where electricity is not considered economically favorable, are neglected and denied electricity access.

The author also makes suggestions for better ways to incorporate energy justice principles into policies and programs. First, energy policies should include more inclusive approaches, such as encouraging public participation and increasing transparency. Second, energy policies need to incentivize diversity beyond large-scale and on-grid projects to effectively target those most affected by energy poverty. Third, contextually grounded approaches best suited to the needs of local communities should be prioritized. Finally, public finance should also be considered in addressing the needs of those most vulnerable to energy poverty.

Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Aug 2018

Using climate finance to advance climate justice: the politics and practice of channeling resources to the local level

The report makes a case for the targeting of adaptation finance at the local levels of government through direct access modalities to address equity concerns and describes the main obstacles local governments and local civil society groups face in accessing adaptation finance.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Government intervention > Public finance; Justice; Resilience
Keywords: Adaptation finance; recognition; urban planning; local municipal government; civil society groups; community-based organizations; political ethnography; direct access modalities; Financial Intermediaries; financial subsidiarity; financial planning systems; municipal revenue; community savings groups
By: Sarah Colenbrander, David Dodman, Diana Mitlin
Publishing Organization: Climate Policy
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: The authors argue that some of the social, political, and economic processes that create and sustain inequalities within a country are typically the same as those that allocate climate finance. Adaptation finance may, therefore, advance climate justice between countries, while doing little to enhance climate justice within countries. The latter is viewed, in part, as a means of increasing justice through the redistribution of resources.

Using an urban lens for its analysis of low- and middle-income countries, the report outlines the ways that local governments and local civil society groups can increase the adaptive capacities of urban residents. The subsequent section identifies the barriers to disbursing adaptation finance to local organizations by illustrating how power relations favoring national and formal agencies create various economic, technical, and institutional obstacles for local organizations. This analysis informs the assessment of financial intermediaries and planning systems as entities that could be deployed to enable local organizations to access adaptation finance. The authors use some examples to illustrate how municipal authorities and organized groups of urban residents have been successful in using small amounts of resources to shift political dynamics. They suggest that there is scope for adaptation finance to have a transformational impact on procedural and distributive climate justice.

The authors acknowledge the risks involved, as channeling finance to the local level could end up: supporting patronage networks and clientelism; overburdening local actors with responsibilities beyond their existing capabilities and lead to the formalization of their processes that result in new exclusions; and/or making such organizations dependent on donors, rather than strengthening local accountabilities. However, the authors suggest that there are emerging capabilities, particularly within some local civil society agencies, that can enable the reversal of exclusionary practices and demonstrate how this may work with respect to adaptation finance.

Academic paper/Definitions and Concepts

Jan 2020

Just Urban Transitions: Toward a Research Agenda

This article proposes a new approach to just urban transitions and identifies additional research priorities to inform them based on gaps in the underlying justice literature.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Environment and/or pollution > Human health; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Justice; Resilience
Keywords: Climate governance; climate justice; environmental justice; just urban transitions; recognition; distributive justice; procedural justice; energy justice; knowledge production; community agency; urban environmental planning; political economy
By: Sara Hughes, Matthew Hoffmann
Publishing Organization: WIRES Climate Change Journal
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: Despite growing policy discussions around urban climate action and just transitions, the requirements for a just urban transition (JUT) are not well understood. This article explores JUTs by examining the intersection between urban climate action and just transitions.

The authors examine the different areas of justice scholarship—including environmental, climate, energy, and urban justice—that can inform JUTs. These various fields have elevated distributional impacts and demonstrated the importance of decisionmaking processes. However, the authors conclude that justice scholarship is largely retrospective and focused on “redressing harms rather than identifying and elaborating on agency in the process of change moving forward.”

To address this gap, the authors argue that “shifting from an evaluative perspective to a change and process-oriented perspective is critical to forwarding a JUT research and policy agenda.” Consistent with just transitions policy discussions, they call for a forward-looking approach that integrates justice principles and emphasizes change processes, alternative futures, and political and structural barriers. They conclude by identifying key questions for subsequent research on JUTs.

Report/Definitions and Concepts

Jun 2020

Just Transition Concepts and Relevance for Climate Action

This report explains the origins and evolution of just transitions, and offers a framework to represent the range of definitions as well as underlying ideologies and approaches.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Investment > ESG and corporate engagement, Private finance; Justice; Social and/or cultural impacts > Non-financial loss
Keywords: definitions; conceptual framework; social inclusion; procedural justice; distributional justice; recognition; scope; scale; stakeholder perspectives; financing mechanisms
By: Ben Cahill, Mary Margaret Allen, Sarah Ladislaw
Publishing Organization: Center for Strategic and International Studies, Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
Academic/research institution or journal, Development finance institution
Summary: This report outlines the origins of just transitions in the US labor movement, the later adoption of the concept by the environmental and climate justice movements, and its role in international climate negotiations. The authors note that the term “just transitions” evokes a range of responses, from enthusiasm to confusion to outright skepticism, suggesting the need for a clear definition.

The paper presents a framework to capture the range of definitions and interpretations of just transitions. One key dimension is scope, including both distributional impacts—or who and what is affected in transitions—as well as intention (the ideological preference between reforming or transforming existing political and economic systems through just transitions). The other dimension in the framework is social inclusion, or the range of recognition and procedural justice for various groups. The framework does not seek to identify a single “correct” definitions of just transitions, but rather captures a range of ideologies and approaches to the concept.

A final section of the paper suggests that the next stage of just transitions work will be to advance solutions and to apply lessons learned. The authors list several priorities for future research including concrete tools and strategies, more case studies of developing countries, more effective social engagement, and new financing methods.

Report/Case Study; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Sep 2020

Supporting Just Transitions in South Africa: A Case Study

This case study explores key dimensions of just transitions and draws lessons from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF)’s contributions to the energy transition, the expansion of renewable energy, and the implications for workers and communities in South Africa.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Energy; Mining
Focus Areas: Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills; Government intervention > Regulation; Investment > Other; Justice
Keywords: multilateral development banks; political economy; distributional justice; procedural justice; recognition; conceptual framework; coronavirus; coal sector; project evaluation; concessional finance
By: Michael Ward, Neha Sharma, Hugh Searight
Publishing Organization: Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
Development finance institution
Summary: This case study explores key dimensions of just transition in South Africa, which has a long engagement with the concept and was one of the first countries to include an explicit reference to just transitions in its Nationally Determined Contribution. The case study reflects on the contributions of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), through its partner multilateral development banks, to the energy transition in South Africa.

The document uses the just transitions framework developed by the CIF and the Center for Strategic and International Studies to explore issues of social inclusion and distributional justice in South Africa’s energy transition. It provides a broader review of South Africa’s energy transition implications for national planning, and discusses social inclusion, financing, Covid-19 recovery programs, skills development and geographic disparities.

Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Nov 2019

Reading Radical Environmental Justice through a Political Ecology Lens

This article provides a review of radical environmental justice through a political ecology lens to assess the potential for cross-fertilization between these two fields.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Justice
Keywords: distributive justice; recognition; procedural justice; power relations; political economy; environmental justice; capabilities; critical knowledge production
By: Hanne Svarstad, Tor Benjaminsen
Publishing Organization: Geoforum Journal
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: This article provides a review of radical environmental justice (EJ) through a political ecology (PE) lens. The authors suggest areas for cross-fertilization with respect to the four forms of justice detailed in the radical environmental justice framework: distributive justice, recognition, procedural justice, and (more recently) capabilities. While these concepts are not explicitly discussed in the context of just transitions, these lessons and insights can be applied to the field.

With respect to recognition, the authors illustrate how this kind of justice can often result in stereotyping and paternalism in both EJ and PE. To avoid this, they recommend an increased focus on “sense of justice” and “critical knowledge production” to ensure that the heterogeneity of communities is accurately reflected and that community members have the knowledge to formulate and express their views.

In addition, they find that the EJ literature fails to explicitly discuss power theories despite its emphasis on procedural justice and the associated topic of participation. Thus, they argue the radical EJ field could benefit from discussing participation and engaging with the power theories found in prominent PE literature.