What is Just Transition?

How do we transition away from carbon intensive industries, while avoiding unemployment?

How do we rebuild communities in a sustainable way, after losing major job providers?

How can a community get their opinion heard when their society must change?

Miners at the Pniówek coal mine. Poland draws 80% of its energy from coal.
Photo: Alain Schroeder / Climate Visuals Countdown
 

Society faces huge changes in the energy transition. Technological solutions get most of the attention for reducing emissions and transitioning. However, research show that these technology implementations have unforeseen consequences, like increasing inequity.

Would you transition if it was unfair?

Some regions are affected more by the energy transition than others. Like coal mining or onshore wind areas. To get everyone on board and working towards common goals, we need to make it fair. Just Transition explains how we solve these issues. It's a framework that aims to ensure we take care of people affected by the transition towards a decarbonized society. This includes not only those with a voice, but also smaller groups without the resources to speak out.

The objective is: Leave no one behind!

What considerations should weigh heaviest?

There is wide agreement that global warming is caused by emissions from coal, gas, and oil. We need to transition to renewable energy sources, and we need it to happen quickly. The fact that actions that reduce emissions also introduce new problems, both socially and environmentally, is a central issue that require consideration.

Let’s use zero-emission buildings and smart grid systems as an example. These measures could help reduce global warming, but who benefits more? Not everyone can afford to live in modern neighborhoods, near collective traffic. This could force people to move further away, having to travel further, and not benefit from local energy markets, charging stations, and other solutions. If we aren't considerate, we risk marginalizing people. The dynamics between central and local politics is often relevant when implementing new energy transition solutions.

Research in these areas help prevent important pitfalls and injustice and help to create fact-based strategies and policy that are more seamlessly implementable.

Where are we going and how do we get there?

To achieve a just transition, we need to understand how energy transition activities affect society. To see the bigger picture, we need to work multidisciplinary and understand how activities are interconnected and affect zones in different ways.
To unite people in the process towards environmentally sustainable economies, the European Union has established The Just Transition Mechanism. This tool provides target groups with support in the most affected regions, to alleviate the socio-economic impact of the transition. This way, Europe hopes to get everyone’s support in reaching the climate goals, realizing that if the process isn’t just, the outcome won’t be either.

Just Transition also encompasses those directly affected by climate change. Populations increasingly affected by pollution and extreme weather events. Thinking of the wellbeing of our generation and of the people of tomorrow is a responsibility that falls to us and makes research in this area so important.

Blades for wind turbines are made by hand in eastern Ontario, Canada.
Photo: Joan Sullivan / Climate Visuals Countdown

What can governments and industry do?

Striving for fairness in the transition guarantees social cohesion, resilience, and societal improvement. By taking responsibility concerning these issues, brands and companies can signal trustworthiness and cooperation with people and policy makers. It’s important to stay updated on fact-based approaches for strategic positioning in the coming energy markets, while being in dialogue with policy makers and other industry partners.

The transition has big implications for companies. Being able to train and retrain employees while also attracting skilled workers is no easy task. Industry should also play a role in determining what qualifications are needed and work together with academia to realize these goals. Working together let’s us see the big picture and evaluate how change will influence variables, like employees, brand, cost, regulations, emissions, the local environment and surrounding society.

These multidisciplinary challenges develop almost overwhelmingly fast. That’s why knowledge hubs that bind innovators, industry, policy, and researchers from varying fields are crucial. Here you can voice concern, get answers, talk to the right people, establish partnerships, and find strategic and technological solutions for future markets.