Delivering a Just Transition to Net Zero: Whose Role is it Anyway?

The transition to a net zero energy system provides society with an opportunity to embed energy justice principles and practices across the energy sector in order to achieve a transition which is not just ‘green’ but also ‘just’. The past decade has seen a surge of activity around the topics of energy justice and just transitions in both academic literature and policy priorities. While these investigations and activities have advanced our understanding of both concepts and unearthed potential mechanisms for applying these to policy making a number of key questions remain: What do we mean when we talk about delivering a just transition to net zero or embedding energy justice within the energy system? Who is responsible for operationalising this and ensuring energy justice is embedded in the transition to net zero? Do different stakeholders have different capacities to act? How can those with real power be motivated to create change and held accountable for their actions? This report attempts to address these questions, drawing on a series of 12 in-depth interviews with experts in the topic of energy justice and just transitions (see Appendix 1). The experts are based in academic institutions across the UK, the European Union, the USA, Australia and Norway – with their research spanning their countries of residence as well as Central America and Africa.