Managing decarbonisation: transitions justice and the importance of recognition

This paper is motivated by two proposition that are key to understanding and implementing transformational approaches to climate mitigation in a green economy context. First, questions of social justice must be at the heart of any discussion on transition to low carbon/net zero economies if the outcomes are to be truly transformative as well as effective and equitable. Second, policy models on managing decarbonisation pathways and the transition to net-zero economies have focused mainly on the distributional (costs and benefits) and procedural (due process) dimensions of social justice in climate mitigation. Drawing on the work of environmental justice scholars such as Schlosberg and Sovacool, the first section of this paper argues for the important role that recognition justice principles play in transitions justice. Recognition justice is examined here as an approach that, when applied to decarbonisation/net-zero transitions, acknowledges distinct and diverse but often marginalised identities, histories and lived experiences and that seeks to eliminate forms of socio-cultural domination of some groups over others. Taking to heart the argument that making recognition justice principles more explicit can help to inform the kinds of policies and implementation practices that are required to promote more just, equitable and inclusive climate mitigation and transitions to a low carbon green economy, the paper then examines how recognition principles (should) function in practice in transition sectors such as energy, green employment, agriculture, and climate-related investment with a focus on Southeast Asia. Thinking about justice in this way, the paper argues, does three things: it helps to expose and overcome situations in which past climate-related injustices are left unaddressed and existing injustices may be prolonged.; it enables us to think about (or problematize) how the policy challenges of just transitions to a low-carbon economy are framed; and it enables us to re-think the techniques of governance – the practices of decision-making at multiple scales – and to evaluate whether the kinds of rules, regulations, policies and mechanisms meet the criteria of being socially ‘just’ in their form, implementation and, perhaps most important, their outcomes.