JUST TRANSITIONS

This article is part of a short series of three reflections exploring what are just transitions, in a world of more rapid and complex change than ever before, and where the consequences of change can create both opportunities and risks.

These articles were written as part of the project “Accelerating Cities’ Just Transitions through National Platforms”, funded by Porticus in 2023-2024, in which Atelier itd, Dark Matter Labs, Viable Cities and Climate KIC collaborated.

Authors: Nayla Saniour, Irene Ezquerra, Paula Beltrán de Heredia
Collaboration in writing: Marcial Silva, María García Rodríguez
Editing: Caren Camiscia

JUST TRANSITIONS

Authors: Nayla Saniour, Irene Ezquerra, Paula Beltrán de Heredia
Collaboration in writing: Marcial Silva, María García Rodríguez
Editing: Caren Camiscia

Part 2 of 3

ARE TODAY’S TRANSITIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY SOCIALLY JUST?

Transitions are often associated with the idea of development as changes that allow society to advance economically, technologically, culturally, etc. However, development is not an objective or unambiguous concept. Societies progress in different directions depending on different conditions, opportunities and/or levels of interdependence.

Neither development nor transitions are neutral – at every moment of change there can be and usually are both “winners” and “losers”, i.e. transitions can have positive and negative consequences depending on who is affected by them.

Moreover, in the face of gains and losses, not everyone is equal; starting points are different. This means that transitions can exacerbate existing inequalities and create new ones.

Inequalities are manifold. The European Union’s “Multidimensional Inequality Monitoring Framework” shows that inequalities in a society are not limited to economic disparities, but encompass multiple dimensions such as access to decent housing, employment, education and health, among others, underscoring the importance of addressing them in a comprehensive manner.

What could be the negative socio-environmental consequences of a transition such as the energy transition?

Among the major transitions our societies are currently undergoing is the energy transition. Its benefits and opportunities are often highlighted. However, this transition is not unambiguously “positive”, regardless of how it is carried out. It is a complex social phenomenon that can also have negative impacts on different groups that experience other aspects of it.

Loss of employment: People working in fossil fuel extraction and distribution (mining), thermoelectric power plants, or other industries such as internal combustion vehicles could lose their jobs and be forced to retrain in other occupations at an accelerated rate. The new jobs would not necessarily be created in the same place as those lost.
Territorial imbalance: Infrastructure could be abandoned, which could lead to the economic and social decline of some areas and regions, loss of vitality and, consequently, a territorial imbalance.
Economic pressure to pay environmental taxes on fossil fuels: People who rely on fossil fuels for transportation may find it difficult to pay the rising price.
Economic pressure to adopt renewable energy technologies: Households with low economic capacity may not be able to adopt new technologies such as electric cars, efficient appliances, or solar panels with their batteries.
Gentrification: Renovating buildings to make them more energy efficient could increase their price, both for sale and for rent. As prices rise, low-income renter households may have to move.
Extensive use of land: Renewable energy projects could require large tracts of rural land and could lead to massive land grabbing, affecting the livelihoods of local communities.
Extraction, pollution and waste: Renewable energy infrastructure requires the extraction of metals for batteries and other structures, which destroys and pollutes the immediate environment of the mines. These extractions take place in areas and communities that do not normally benefit from these processes. This can lead to the forced displacement of populations in the areas where mining takes place. In addition, obsolete technologies and infrastructure generate new forms of polluting and hazardous waste if they are not properly recycled and treated.

Why do transitions need to be just?

Transitions can and should be guided and managed to minimize their negative impacts and enhance the opportunities they can provide. We believe that “transitions will either be just or they will not be”, based on the following arguments:

We need to mitigate the risks and reduce the potential “negative” impacts of transitions: Actions to address climate change, both mitigation and adaptation, risk exacerbating existing inequalities and creating new ones, leading to a less cohesive and more conflict-prone society. A just transition aims to ensure that as little harm as possible is done.
We need to create opportunities and increase the “positive” impacts of transitions: Actions must not only manage and mitigate potential risks, but also leverage necessary change to create positive opportunities for society as a whole. A just transition aims to maintain and enhance the well-being and cohesion of a society.
We need to increase the effectiveness of transitions: If measures to address climate change do not take into account existing and potential inequalities and harms, they could face strong social resistance and will not be implemented effectively, at the necessary pace, or at all. A just transition aims to increase the speed and effectiveness of the implementation of the long-term change process.

These arguments highlight the complementarity between increasing well-being and social cohesion and the effectiveness of climate action. Both are essential for societies: one cannot be prioritized over the other. Improving well-being must not be at the expense of climate action, and vice versa.

Bibliography

Comisión Europea. (s. f.). EU Multidimensional Inequality Monitoring Framework.

Part 2 of 3

ARE TODAY’S TRANSITIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY SOCIALLY JUST?

Moreover, in the face of gains and losses, not everyone is equal; starting points are different. This means that transitions can exacerbate existing inequalities and create new ones.

What could be the negative socio-environmental consequences of a transition such as the energy transition?

Loss of employment: People working in fossil fuel extraction and distribution (mining), thermoelectric power plants, or other industries such as internal combustion vehicles could lose their jobs and be forced to retrain in other occupations at an accelerated rate. The new jobs would not necessarily be created in the same place as those lost.
Territorial imbalance: Infrastructure could be abandoned, which could lead to the economic and social decline of some areas and regions, loss of vitality and, consequently, a territorial imbalance.
Economic pressure to pay environmental taxes on fossil fuels: People who rely on fossil fuels for transportation may find it difficult to pay the rising price.
Economic pressure to adopt renewable energy technologies: Households with low economic capacity may not be able to adopt new technologies such as electric cars, efficient appliances, or solar panels with their batteries.
Gentrification: Renovating buildings to make them more energy efficient could increase their price, both for sale and for rent. As prices rise, low-income renter households may have to move.
Extensive use of land: Renewable energy projects could require large tracts of rural land and could lead to massive land grabbing, affecting the livelihoods of local communities.
Extraction, pollution and waste: Renewable energy infrastructure requires the extraction of metals for batteries and other structures, which destroys and pollutes the immediate environment of the mines. These extractions take place in areas and communities that do not normally benefit from these processes. This can lead to the forced displacement of populations in the areas where mining takes place. In addition, obsolete technologies and infrastructure generate new forms of polluting and hazardous waste if they are not properly recycled and treated.

What could be the negative socio-environmental consequences of a transition such as the energy transition?

Loss of employment: People working in fossil fuel extraction and distribution (mining), thermoelectric power plants, or other industries such as internal combustion vehicles could lose their jobs and be forced to retrain in other occupations at an accelerated rate. The new jobs would not necessarily be created in the same place as those lost.
Territorial imbalance: Infrastructure could be abandoned, which could lead to the economic and social decline of some areas and regions, loss of vitality and, consequently, a territorial imbalance.
Economic pressure to pay environmental taxes on fossil fuels: People who rely on fossil fuels for transportation may find it difficult to pay the rising price.
Economic pressure to adopt renewable energy technologies: Households with low economic capacity may not be able to adopt new technologies such as electric cars, efficient appliances, or solar panels with their batteries.
Gentrification: Renovating buildings to make them more energy efficient could increase their price, both for sale and for rent. As prices rise, low-income renter households may have to move.
Extensive use of land: Renewable energy projects could require large tracts of rural land and could lead to massive land grabbing, affecting the livelihoods of local communities.
Extraction, pollution and waste: Renewable energy infrastructure requires the extraction of metals for batteries and other structures, which destroys and pollutes the immediate environment of the mines. These extractions take place in areas and communities that do not normally benefit from these processes. This can lead to the forced displacement of populations in the areas where mining takes place. In addition, obsolete technologies and infrastructure generate new forms of polluting and hazardous waste if they are not properly recycled and treated.

Why do transitions need to be just?

We need to mitigate the risks and reduce the potential “negative” impacts of transitions: Actions to address climate change, both mitigation and adaptation, risk exacerbating existing inequalities and creating new ones, leading to a less cohesive and more conflict-prone society. A just transition aims to ensure that as little harm as possible is done.
We need to create opportunities and increase the “positive” impacts of transitions: Actions must not only manage and mitigate potential risks, but also leverage necessary change to create positive opportunities for society as a whole. A just transition aims to maintain and enhance the well-being and cohesion of a society.
We need to increase the effectiveness of transitions: If measures to address climate change do not take into account existing and potential inequalities and harms, they could face strong social resistance and will not be implemented effectively, at the necessary pace, or at all. A just transition aims to increase the speed and effectiveness of the implementation of the long-term change process.

Why do transitions need to be just?

We need to mitigate the risks and reduce the potential “negative” impacts of transitions: Actions to address climate change, both mitigation and adaptation, risk exacerbating existing inequalities and creating new ones, leading to a less cohesive and more conflict-prone society. A just transition aims to ensure that as little harm as possible is done.
We need to create opportunities and increase the “positive” impacts of transitions: Actions must not only manage and mitigate potential risks, but also leverage necessary change to create positive opportunities for society as a whole. A just transition aims to maintain and enhance the well-being and cohesion of a society.
We need to increase the effectiveness of transitions: If measures to address climate change do not take into account existing and potential inequalities and harms, they could face strong social resistance and will not be implemented effectively, at the necessary pace, or at all. A just transition aims to increase the speed and effectiveness of the implementation of the long-term change process.

Bibliography

Comisión Europea. (s. f.). EU Multidimensional Inequality Monitoring Framework.

Bibliography

Comisión Europea. (s. f.). EU Multidimensional Inequality Monitoring Framework.

Do you want to know more?

To read the previous article: WHAT ARE JUST TRANSITIONS?
To read the next article: HOW COULD TRANSITIONS BE MORE JUST?
If you want to learn more about our approach and work, you can find us at atelieritd.org

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the members of the Atelier itd, itdUPM, Dark Matter Labs, Viable Cities and Climate KIC teams who contributed to the co-creation of these evolving reflections. Also, to Porticus for their invaluable support on this exploratory journey.

Do you want to know more?

Acknowledgements

informacion@atelieritd.org
Gta. de Quevedo, 9, Piso 5, Oficina 17, Madrid

Atelier itd was created in close collaboration
with the Center for Innovation in Technology
for Human Development of the Technical
University of Madrid (itdUPM).

We are a beneficiary entity of the European Social
Fund, specifically the Program for the Promotion of
Recruitment in the Community of Madrid, line of
stable hiring of young people. Funds obtained with
the support of the Community of Madrid and
co-financed by the European Union.

Atelier itd is part of:

informacion@atelieritd.org
Gta. de Quevedo, 9, Piso 5, Oficina 17, Madrid

Atelier itd was created in close collaboration with the Center for Innovation in Technology for Human Development of the Technical University of Madrid (itdUPM).

Atelier itd is part of:

We are a beneficiary entity of the European Social Fund, specifically the Program for the Promotion of Recruitment in the Community of Madrid, line of stable hiring of young people. Funds obtained with the support of the Community of Madrid and co-financed by the European Union.

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