Climate change affects everyone on the planet, but those most vulnerable are often the least responsible for causing it. These vulnerable and marginalized groups, including the economically and socially disadvantaged, usually lack the resources and capacity to cope with the consequences of climate change. This double injustice—where the most vulnerable are both the least responsible and the least equipped to adapt—can become a triple injustice if the costs of the energy transition disproportionately burden low-income groups and vulnerable communities. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the transition to renewable energy does not deepen existing inequalities but rather becomes an opportunity to create a fair and inclusive society where everyone benefits from sustainable development.

Focusing on justice and equality distinguishes a just transition from a simple energy transition. While the energy transition is primarily concerned with the technical and economic aspects of shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, a just transition adds a social justice dimension, emphasizing the need for an inclusive and equitable process. Recognizing that different communities are unequally affected by climate change and changes in the energy sector, a just transition aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure that no one is left behind during this process. This includes workers in the fossil fuel industry, entire regions and communities dependent on this industry, and particularly vulnerable and marginalized groups such as the poor, energy-poor, elderly, women, and ethnic minorities.

Justice in the energy transition process is primarily ensured through the fair distribution of benefits and costs (distributive justice). The benefits of transitioning to green energy—such as new jobs, improved quality of life, and environmental gains like clean air, water, healthy soil, and green spaces—must be accessible to all. In contrast, the costs of the transition should not disproportionately burden vulnerable and marginalized groups. The gradual shift to renewable energy should also be accompanied by rectifying injustices and harm caused by economic and social transformations (restorative justice). This includes a range of policies and activities aimed at supporting workers from declining industries—such as miners and employees of thermal power plants— and providing support to regions and local communities most reliant on fossil fuel exploitation. Support for workers could include financial compensation for job losses, retraining, new skills development, and educational programs to provide social security during the transition period. Affected communities should be offered economic revitalization through infrastructure investments, the development of new industries, and support for local entrepreneurship.

It is essential to recognize and respect the cultural, historical, social, and economic specificities of different communities and groups, ensuring that their identity, experiences, rights, and needs are taken into account (recognition justice). Finally, the energy transition becomes just only when the process is transparent, participatory, and inclusive (procedural justice), which is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving all other forms of justice. The decision-making process must be open and clear, allowing the public to monitor and evaluate the outcomes. All relevant actors, including vulnerable and marginalized groups, must have equal access to information and the opportunity to actively participate in decisions that directly affect them.

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Citizen Participation

Involving citizens in the process of a just energy transition offers numerous benefits for policymakers and decision-makers. First, citizen participation improves the quality of adopted policies and measures. Utilizing local knowledge and perspectives leads to decisions better suited to real circumstances and needs, increasing their effectiveness and sustainability. Citizen participation also enhances the legitimacy of the decisions made. When the transition results from joint work and consensus, citizens feel ownership of the process, contributing to greater support and acceptance of new policies and measures. Furthermore, transparent processes in which citizens are continuously informed and consulted build trust between the community and decision-makers, reducing the risk of conflict and resistance to changes. This is particularly important in the context of Serbia, where research shows that citizens harbor deep distrust in institutions, perceiving them, among other things, as insufficiently interested in the real needs of ordinary people. Lastly, considering that inclusiveness is one of the core principles of a just transition, involving different voices and perspectives—especially those of vulnerable and marginalized groups—ensures that the transition is truly fair and that no one is left behind.

Maja Pupovac, PhD

The story was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENERGY TRANSITION