Simone d'Antonio, Daniela Patti, Levente Polyak & others
and
2023
🌍 Context and Publication The report "Exploring the Just Transition: Europe" was published by EUTROPIAN, an organization dedicated to advancing sustainable urban development. The authors, Simone d'Antonio, Daniela Patti, and Levente Polyak, collaborated with Jazmin Burgess and Krisztina Campbell from C40 Cities, a network of large cities committed to addressing climate change. Created on July 4, 2023, this report delves into the vital concepts and challenges surrounding just transition in Europe. 🏛️ Importance of Just Transition Just transition is a critical topic in Europe, particularly in light of institutions and policies like the European Green Deal and the Just Transition Mechanism. These initiatives aim to facilitate a fair transition to sustainable economies, especially for communities affected by the shift away from fossil fuels. The report underscores that just transition is increasingly relevant as various stakeholders recognize the importance of integrating social equity into climate action. 🔑 Key Themes and Findings The report identifies several key themes, including the transition of coal regions and cities away from fossil fuels, the transformation of the industrial sector, and the need for reskilling and upskilling workers for green jobs. It also highlights the importance of regional transformation to reduce territorial inequality and ensure fair working conditions. Promoting community leadership and ownership is critical in enabling effective just transition processes. 🌐 National Strategies and Local Roles Countries such as Germany, Scotland, France, and Ukraine have developed national strategies to address just transition. The report emphasizes that cities play a crucial role in shaping these processes as they experience direct impacts and can engage local stakeholders effectively. 🤝 Recommended Actions for Cities To support just transition, the report recommends several actions for cities, including engaging with national governments on planning, facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, improving interdepartmental coordination, and collaboratively designing reskilling policies. Additionally, advocating for inclusive support allocation at the EU level and participating in European networks are essential steps for cities. 📈 Long-term Implications The report concludes that effective implementation of just transition at the local level, aligned with broader regional and national strategies, is crucial for the future of work and long-term economic development. By addressing social and territorial inequalities, just transition strategies can help restore trust between local governments and their communities, paving the way for sustainable housing and resilient urban environments in Europe.
This report, titled "Exploring the just transition: Europe," was authored by Simone d'Antonio, Daniela Patti, and Levente Polyak from EUTROPIAN, along with Jazmin Burgess and Krisztina Campbell from C40 Cities. It provides an overview of just transition concepts, themes, opportunities and challenges in Europe.
Key findings include:
- Just transition is increasingly relevant in Europe, addressed by various institutions, policies and initiatives like the European Green Deal and Just Transition Mechanism.
- Key themes include:
- Coal regions and cities transitioning away from fossil fuels
- Industrial sector transformation
- Reskilling/upskilling workers for green jobs
- Regional transformation and reducing territorial inequality
- Ensuring fair working conditions and equitable opportunities
- Promoting community leadership and ownership
- Several European countries have developed national strategies on just transition, including Germany, Scotland, France and Ukraine.
- Cities play a crucial role in shaping just transition processes, as they experience the direct impacts and can engage local stakeholders.
- Recommended actions for cities include:
- Engaging with national governments on just transition planning
- Facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue at the city level
- Improving interdepartmental coordination
- Collaboratively designing reskilling/upskilling policies
- Advocating for inclusive allocation of support at the EU level
- Getting involved in European networks and partnerships
- Just transition strategies can help restore trust between local governments and communities while reducing social and territorial inequalities in Europe.
The report emphasizes that effective implementation of just transition at the local level, aligned with regional and national strategies, is crucial for the future of work and long-term economic development in many European regions and cities.