Just Transition: SDG10 & Beyond for All in Permaculture
By Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
TL;DR: A just transition, evolving from 1970s labor movements, ensures equitable shifts to sustainable, low-carbon economies, leaving no one behind.
- Just transition evolved from 1970s labor movements.
- Ensures equitable shift to sustainable, low-carbon economies.
- Addresses social/economic impacts on workers and communities.
- Applied globally, with focus on Asian case studies.
- Promotes inclusive environmental policies and new opportunities.
Why it matters: Understanding the just transition framework helps in designing impactful permaculture projects that benefit all community members, especially vulnerable populations during environmental and industrial shifts.
Do this next: Listen to the podcast episode to gain deeper insights into global and Asian case studies of just transition principles in action.
Recommended for: Sustainable development practitioners, permaculture designers, and community organizers interested in equitable environmental transitions.
The "About Sustainability" podcast, produced by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), recently featured an episode titled "SDG10 and Beyond: Ensuring a Just Transition for All." This discussion delved into the concept of a just transition, tracing its historical development and exploring its contemporary applications, particularly within an Asian context.
The podcast highlighted that the origins of the just transition framework can be found in labor movements of the 1970s. Initially, it focused on addressing the social and economic impacts on workers and communities affected by industrial shifts, ensuring that the burden of change was not disproportionately borne by specific groups. Over time, this concept evolved, gaining prominence in international dialogues and becoming integrated into broader sustainable development frameworks. The core idea is to ensure that the transition to a more sustainable economy, particularly one that is low-carbon, is equitable and inclusive, leaving no one behind.
The episode featured insights from Dr. So-Young Lee, a Research Manager at IGES's Integrated Sustainability Center, whose work emphasizes governance in sustainability transitions and the social co-benefits of climate action for vulnerable populations. Also contributing was Dwayne Appleby, a Programme Manager in IGES's Sustainable Consumption and Production team, who focuses on these issues at various scales, from local to global.
A significant portion of the discussion was dedicated to showcasing innovative case studies that illustrate how just transition principles are being implemented at local levels around the world, with a particular emphasis on examples from Asia. These case studies likely demonstrated practical approaches to mitigating negative social and economic consequences of environmental policies and fostering new opportunities. The conversation also acknowledged the ongoing challenges encountered in implementing these principles across diverse contexts, as well as the successes achieved. This suggests a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in translating theoretical frameworks into practical action.
The podcast also provided a list of references and further reading for those interested in exploring the topic in more depth. These resources included Dr. So-Young Lee's 2023 work, "Net-Zero Transitions for All? Considering Applications in Asia," which likely offers a detailed examination of just transition applications within the Asian region. Another key reference was "Pluriverse: A Post-Development Dictionary" (2019) by Ashish Kothari et al., which explores diverse local sustainability practices, suggesting a connection between just transition and broader post-development thinking. Michael Sandel's Harvard course on Justice was also mentioned, indicating the philosophical underpinnings of justice that are relevant to the just transition concept.
Further readings included a 2023 report by Garrido and Hughes, "Policy Options for Just Transitions in Asia," which identifies impacts of low-carbon development in Asia and proposes relevant policies. A conceptual review of the just transition by Wang and Lo (2021) summarized pre-pandemic perspectives, while Newell and Mulvaney's 2013 work, "The Political Economy of the 'Just Transition'," discussed political trade-offs in policy design. Finally, Henry, Brazilian, and Markuson's 2020 paper, "Just transitions: Histories and futures in a post-COVID world," highlighted the importance of the pace of change and community involvement in shaping future transitions, emphasizing the emergent and essential socio-economic aspects of the energy transition.
In essence, the podcast provided a comprehensive overview of the just transition, from its historical roots in labor movements to its contemporary relevance in achieving equitable and sustainable development, with a particular focus on its implementation and challenges within Asia.