JUST4WHOM
Boosting “full” environmental justice and resilience in communities facing transitions

About

JUST4WHOM will investigate the psychosocial and symbolic dimensions of pre-existing or emerging injustices in the transition dynamics toward climate-neutral societies. It will better understand and operationalise the “environmental justice” (EJ) construct. It will also implement concrete actions to reduce inequalities and promote active citizenship and resilience in communities facing transformations.

The institutional framework will be the Just Transition Mechanism, ie the EU financial tool to support communities affected by the socioeconomic challenges of the ongoing transition. It requires the proposal of territorial plans arising from the dialogue between institutional representatives and a territorial partnership of public and private actors, including citizens. While the value of this tool is undeniable, it tends to provide a partial view of EJ, predominantly in economic and political terms.

Such a vision risks neglecting - or not adequately addressing - the underlying causes and implications of injustices, potentially leading to further inequalities and vulnerabilities. Social sciences are committed to identifying vulnerable social groups to alleviate the socioeconomic impacts of the transition. However, the scientific literature renders a somewhat fragmented and non-univocal conceptualisation of the EJ construct. It provides a theoretical framework developed along a few fundamental mechanisms (e.g. distributive, procedural, recognition and restorative justice), which do not necessarily exhaust the complexity of the social dynamics involved in creating inequalities (e.g. identity processes, collective memories, symbolic meanings). Thus, the issue of what the “just transition” is and for whom is still under discussion.