JUSTDECARB

Duration: 07.12.2020 - 06.12.2023 Sponsor: Joint Program Initiative Climate

Climate change mitigation urgently needs to be scaled up. Yet even modest climate policies are accused of having inequitable distributional effects in many European countries, leading aggrieved groups to mobilize politically to block or mitigate these policies. More knowledge is needed on how to structure a low-carbon transition so that it is not only socially equitable, but also perceived as equitable by key stakeholders, thereby increasing the political robustness of the transition. JUSTDECARB has two overarching project objectives: 1. to fill critical gaps in the knowledge base related to socially just and politically robust decarbonization, with a particular focus on inclusive processes and redistributive policies (the scientific objective); 2. to develop a "toolkit" to help European decision makers guide the transition process in a socially just and politically robust direction (the policy objective). The scientific objective is pursued through two research themes. The first research theme aims to address critical knowledge gaps related to the philosophy, politics, and economics of transition "winners" and "losers" as they relate to decarbonization processes through novel, disciplinary research projects. Building on this work and incorporating broader insights from philosophy, political science, and law, the second research theme aims to develop frameworks for assessing the equity and robustness of public engagement processes in climate policy design, implementation, and action. To achieve JUSTDECARB's policy objective, the project team will develop a "Toolkit for Policy Makers" in consultation with policy makers and civil society actors. The toolkit will take the form of a report describing recommended steps and methods for policymakers seeking to guide transition processes at key stages of the policy cycle in a socially just and politically robust direction.

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