NexSys researchers Dr Aparajita Banerjee and Assoc. Prof Geertje Schuitema, who lead the Just Transition Research Group in University College Dublin hosted a half-day conference on just transition in Ireland on 7 June. Dr Banerjee and Assoc. Prof. Geertje Schuitema are both based in University College Dublin’s School of Business and part of the NexSys research partnership.

Dr Aparajita Banerjee opening the conference

The event, also organised by Oscar Mooney, Project Coordinator for the Just Transition Research Group and research assistant at UCD, took place in UCD’s Smurfit Business School Campus and online. It was sponsored by the UCD Earth Institute SPSM Funding Mechanism.

conference

Transitioning to a low-carbon economy requires transformative changes in technology, society, human behaviour, and institutional practices.

The conference facilitated a cross-disciplinary dialogue to encourage integrated and interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of how a Just Transition to a low-carbon future can be achieved.

Here are some of the questions that were explored:

●How can research on Just Transition contribute to the decarbonisation of our socio-economic systems?

●How can we produce knowledge that can ensure social justice is not compromised during the transition process?

● How can integrated and interdisciplinary research contribute to solving complex societal problems?

Assoc. Prof Schuitema said: “The just transition is a so-called wicked problem, which means it’s very difficult to solve due to its complex, multi-layered and interconnected nature. This is why we need a discussion that includes different perspectives and angles. The fact we heard so many perspectives today is what made this conference really inspiring.”

In rounding up the conference, she also noted some of the common themes that emerged from the discussion, including:

• The need for radical change when it comes to achieving a just transition
• The just transition is an opportunity to reduce existing inequalities
• Solutions must involve and include the communities, workers, farmers and all those impacted on the ground
• The need for institutional change, with well designed bottom-up and top-down approaches.
• The recognition that technological solutions are needed, but also have societal and political implications
• Researchers can play an active role in driving projects, talk to industry and policy makers, and empower communities

A recent publication by NexSys researchers

Policymakers need to include spatial differences to ensure a just transition: a case study from the Irish midlands

A month before the conference, a new paper by Dr Aparajita Banerjee and Associate Professor Geertje Schuitema was published. The paper argued that, in order for a just transition to take place, policymakers need to take into account spatial differences such as different geographies, access to natural resources, and availability and accessibility of socially-valuable resources such as education, healthcare and transport. Spatial differences can exacerbate inequalities, especially when it comes to rural spaces such as in the Irish midlands, the researchers wrote in the paper.

As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, many regions, and especially rural areas, face both economic and non economic losses (including job losses). Policies that help ensure a just transition for impacted communities, people, and regions are usually referred to as ‘just transition’ policies.

The authors examined a case study from the Irish midlands, where industrial peat extraction for electricity production was discontinued after the closure of associated power plants in 2020.

Under the European Union Just Transition Programme, funding of 169 million euro has been allocated to the region until 2030, as well as 22 million euro put in place by the Irish government, to help communities in the midlands impacted by the closures.

Based on documentary evidence and 30 in-person interviews with community members living in Co. Offaly and Co. Longford, close to the power stations and peatlands where extraction was taking place before closure of the industry, community members felt little was done to prepare the region for a just transition, despite evident decline of the industry for many years, the researchers report.

“Preparing a region to be able to provide alternative livelihood options is critical to absorb the shock of the sudden job cuts. These alternative livelihoods should align with what people in the region want so that the characteristics of the space are maintained,” said Dr Aparajita Banerjee.

Locals felt frustrated and angry, and perceived they were not included in the just transition process. Another theme that emerged was a sense of loss which included tangible job losses and intangible losses due to the connection between the peat industry and the local social and cultural fabric.

Based on these findings, the researchers argued that spatial differences, incorporated in the notion of spatial justice, can enhance social justice or injustice, and thus must be accounted for in policy around the just transition. A lack of alternative jobs and industries in the region, due to prolonged underinvestment, was one issue that emerged from the interviews. Rural development must become part of a long-term just transition policy plan, say the authors in the paper.

The research, which was supported by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), is published in the journal Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, and is free to read.

For more information:

Just Transition: Embedding social justice in low-carbon futures – UCD Just Transition Research Group

Link to paper

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/23996544231173210

The 6th European Climate Change Adaptation conference took place in Dublin Castle from the 19th to the 21st of June, 2023. 

Professor Eleni Mangina, who is based in UCD’s School of Computer Science and a NexSys-funded investigator, chaired the ‘Social challenges in the energy transition innovation: novel technologies’ session on the 21st of June and presented the portfolio of projects associated with her research group.

‘The event allowed us to engage in meaningful discussions throughout the day. It was a great opportunity to share actual examples of the challenges and potential solutions in the energy transition. We now need to act swiftly to progress our actions at every level,’ said Prof Mangina. 

The goal of the conference, among the goals of the previous ECCA editions, was to inspire adaptation by showcasing solutions, exchanging knowledge, creating connections, and encouraging dialogue.

Along with collaborator Prof. Mohammad Saffari (DCU), the aims and objectives of the Horizon Europe HYSTORE project were presented, she said.

The audience included adaptation experts, researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, local authorities, and the private sector with a focus on businesses already engaged and taking action on climate risk, investors, NGOs, citizens organisations, youth and education organisations, community groups engaged in adaptation, communicators, and all interested individuals. 

Global experts were able to hear from Europe’s leading climate researchers who are using trusted data to develop cutting-edge climate action tools, decision-support platforms and prototype climate services for adapting to the climate challenges they are tasked with addressing.

Besides necessary mitigation measures, adaptation actions contribute to recovery, resilience, climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and restoration, citizen safety, wellbeing, and financial security, said Mangina. 

The Joint Programme Initiative “Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe” (JPI Climate), together with the MAGICA project, supported by the European Commission, organized this edition of ECCA. It was an in-person event over two days for up to 500 people, with live streaming of all plenary sessions and interactive hybrid formats.

Learn more about ECCA here: ECCA2023