Towards a Just Transition

Towards a Just Transition explores how principles, instruments, processes and practices of law and governance progress the goal of creating systems of production and reproduction that focus on human well-being and the regeneration of ecosystems , through democratic means.

Since 2024, this initiative consists of several research and education projects on the legal and governance dimensions of Just Transition, involving ESL researchers and others.

Research

The research projects include elaborating what ‘Just Transition’ means and might imply for different dimensions of law and governance. For example, we develop an approach to ‘Justice’ and to ‘Transition’ that can be useful in analysing legal or governance proposals or instruments that say they address ‘Just Transition.’ We offer instruments and ways that might be helpful for communities to enhance their influence in governance initiatives that seek community input. We look at what implications of ‘Epistemic Justice’ means for how we research law and governance and Just Transition.  

We use a variety of legal, socio-legal and participatory research methods in our work, and frequently bring a critical perspective to the theories and methodologies used, and the data generated.

Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

As the global climate agenda advances from COP30 in Belém to COP31 in Antalya, the recent international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels at Santa Marta (April 2026), co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, was a critical diplomatic juncture on pathways to a more equitable and meaningful “Just Transition.” Convened amid intensifying debates ahead of COP 31, the meeting included notable institutional innovations including dedicated chapters for academia, trades unions, parliaments and sub-national entities, as well as a pre-assembly of Peoples, and an Indigenous peoples dialogue.

Though these developments signal a shift towards a more plural and participatory deliberative approach to climate diplomacy, gaps remain. The absence reference to the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 23 July, 2025, for example, raises key questions about the recognition and integration of human rights and international legal obligations within transition pathways. Yet, conference outcomes (including the formation of three follow-up workstreams, a ‘Science Panel,’ along with a further international conference (TAFF’27) next year) may offer a crucial window to shape the normative, legal and institutional agenda towards a fossil-free, more equitable ‘Just Transition.’

Against this backdrop, we convened a workshop on June 16th (13:00 – 17:30) bringing together over 50 academic researchers, policymakers, and NGO representatives engaged on law, governance the fossil fuel transition and phase-out (FFPO). The workshop aimed to

• Share knowledge, reflect on and analyse the significance of TAFF’26 event to international efforts on a progressive transition away from fossil fuels
• Identify opportunities for engagement with emerging (TAFF’27 and other) policy processes, and in particular, where scholarly engagement may be most helpful
• Contribute to ongoing preparations for the next COP31 and the next international conference (TAFF’27).

This report captures reflections on these, and related, topics, shared by contributors (panellists and keynote speaker) and participants at the workshop. We hope this report may be a resource for those interested in the TAFF conferences as an emerging initiative of deliberative governance on fossil fuel phase out (FFPO), and to related legal, governance and knowledge initiatives that have potential to progress and hasten the transition towards more equitable, non-extractive, socio-ecological and politico-economic futures.

Walking Towards a Just Transition

The research projects include elaborating what ‘Just Transition’ means and might imply for different dimensions of law and governance. For example, we develop an approach to ‘Justice’ and to ‘Transition’ that can be useful in analysing legal or governance proposals or instruments that say they address ‘Just Transition.’ We offer instruments and ways that might be helpful for communities to enhance their influence in governance initiatives that seek community input. We look at what implications of ‘Epistemic Justice’ means for how we research law and governance and Just Transition.  

We use a variety of legal, socio-legal and participatory research methods in our work, and frequently bring a critical perspective to the theories and methodologies used, and the data generated.

This report captures the results of engaged research projects on Just Transition. 

Previous events

• 16th June 2026 | From TAFF (Santa Marta, 2026) to Just Transition (COP 31 Turkey) and beyond [download slides] 
• 17th October 2025 | Webinar series – Towards equitable climate futures [download slides]

Education

The education projects include formal (within an accreditation context) and non-formal (accreditation not relevant) initiatives, delivered to students and to others (e.g., community members, policy makers, civil servants and others).

Collaborations, transdisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity

Several of the projects involve collaboration with non-academic partners, participating in a variety of ways and roles (transdisciplinary projects). Some were undertaken with knowledge co-production as an objective. Longer-term non-academic partners include Iedereen aan Boord (Rotterdam) and the Centre for Spatial Justice (Istanbul). Transdisciplinary  

Interdisciplinarity is a strong feature of this initiative. Though legal and governance knowledge is the ‘anchor’ discipline, we also work with knowledge from other disciplines such as finance, urban studies and urban planning, social studies (including community development and adult education), cultural studies, philosophy, science and technology studies, and the climate sciences.