The concept of a Just Transition (JT) is an essential framework for addressing the climate crisis in a way that is also socially just.  It goes beyond merely shifting to a net-zero economy by integrating the need for social and climate justice, recognizing that climate impacts disproportionately affect the most economically and socially vulnerable populations. This approach emphasizes that a transition away from fossil fuels must secure workers' rights and livelihoods, address issues of environmental racism, and account for global inequalities.

 

The JT is thus a 'combinational' concept that links sustainability economics with an explicit social justice dimension, which can be seen in various interpretations by different actors, including the labour movement, climate justice groups, governments, and businesses..

 

The scale and urgency of the climate emergency require a 'whole system approach' to the Just Transition that involves synergistic actions at all societal levels, from the local to the global, and from the bottom up. To this end, the papers propose an emergent conceptual framework: the 'Just Transition Social Ecosystem'.

 

This multi-dimensional model adapts Bronfenbrenner’s human ecological theory to a spatial and political economy framework with four interdependent levels:

 

• Micro-system - the immediate social and educational relationships of individuals, focusing on the sustainability transitioning of everyday life and consumption habits.

   

• Meso-system - the role of organizations, such as businesses and educational institutions, in becoming "Just Transition Organizations" committed to mission-led innovation.

   

• Exo-system - local and regional networks and governance structures that facilitate collaboration among different organizations and civic actors. This level is considered particularly important for mediating between the micro and macro levels of the ecosystem.

   

• Macro-system - the overarching economic, political, and cultural contexts that influence the entire system.

   

Within this social ecosystem, further and higher education (FHE) institutions are identified as key actors. They can act as a crucial mediating force between national policy and local and regional economies.  The papers argue that these tertiary institutions have a fundamental role in education and in linking different societal levels to support the acceleration of the Just Transition.

 

By reimagining themselves as civic anchor institutions, which are tied to a particular place and have the capacity to make a strategic contribution to the local economy, FHE institutions can become powerful forces for change in their localities. Their involvement would ensure that the transition is not just a top-down process, but is also driven by popular civic participation and grassroots initiatives from below. The overall success of the Just Transition Social Ecosystem depends on creating a positive, reciprocal relationship between all these levels.