Towards a Just Transition Impact Assessment Framework

Abstract

Just transition is a contested notion. Its definitions range from status quo enforcing to transformation engendering. Traditionally, just transition focuses on local jobs and workers. Its application within the climate change context retains this traditional focus. From its recognition in the Paris Agreement to its incorporation in domestic transition laws and policies, just transition is essentially interpreted as jobs transition. Further, the scholarship and law of just transition are primarily normatively built on the distributive and procedural conceptualizations of justice. Also, although planning is construed as central to a just transition, there is no clarity on how abstract proposals on just transition can be translated into practice. In this thesis, I show that the focus of the traditional just transition narrative on fossil fuel jobs, its emphasis on distributive and procedural justice, and the failure to embed just transition into planning and decision making have resulted in unjust ends for social and ecological systems both locally and globally. This thesis addresses the limitations in traditional just transition discourse. Using Amartya Sen’s capability approach to justice, I propose key characteristics of just transition, establishing that human and ecological wellbeing should be the primary objectives of just transition. Addressing the deficit of just transition in addressing global justice concerns, I frame a global approach to just transition adapting the common but differentiated responsibilities principle under international climate change law. Given its recognition in laws across the world as the primary planning and decision-making tool, impact assessment has been proposed in this thesis as a useful tool for mainstreaming justice into transition planning. I show how existing impact assessment modes can be deployed for just transition ends, and how the growing field of climate change and impact assessment can be just transition compliant. The just transition impact assessment framework developed in this thesis draws from the capability approach framing of just transition, the global approach to just transition, and the reframing of impact assessment for just transition ends.