Just transition in the post-pandemic city

Urban climate governance often separates social justice and environmental sustainability, leading to fragmented and ineffective action. A study of Bristol, Bath, and Exeter reveals that while these cities show promise in net-zero aspirations, the pandemic hindered progress, and just transition principles remain partially embedded without clear integration. Social justice and ecological goals are frequently treated as conflicting rather than complementary, with climate work siloed around energy and transport sectors. Civil society engagement is notably lacking, highlighting a critical gap in delivering a just transition. To address this, cities need better tools to analyze the interplay of distributional, recognitional, participatory, and restorative justice aspects, alongside deeper collaboration with grassroots actors across diverse sectors.

Berglund, O., Britton, J., Hatzisavvidou, S., Robbins, C., & Shackleton, D. (2023). Just transition in the post-pandemic city. Local Environment, 28(6), 753–767. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2023.2173732