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Delivered through a partnership between the Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Reading, and Warwick, the programme will work closely with five regional case studies - Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, East Ayrshire, Reading, and Wales.
Achieving Net Zero is one of the defining challenges of our time, but it is also a source of growing tension. While technical innovations are accelerating decarbonisation, the wider social benefits for communities remain unclear. The UK’s green economy is expanding, yet many households are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis, deepening poverty, and rising inequality. Energy insecurity continues to embed fuel poverty in vulnerable areas, while regional infrastructure and housing remain unfit for a low-carbon future.
In this context, the concept of a Just Transition—ensuring fairness, equity, and inclusion in climate action—has taken centre stage in both climate and regional policy. A Just Transition calls for stronger links between green technologies and improved livelihoods, skills, wellbeing, and vibrant local economies.
There is growing interest in place-based approaches that support decarbonisation while delivering community wealth and resilience. However, many of these initiatives remain isolated or limited in scale, constrained by fragmented systems of planning, finance, infrastructure, and social values.
By applying systems thinking and co-developing place-based solutions, JUST-Systems aims to accelerate decarbonisation while delivering tangible benefits in local economies, public health, and social justice, ensuring Net Zero works for people as well as the planet.
About JUST-Systems
- Who we are
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JUST-Systems was developed in response to the UKRI Net Zero Challenges call, which aims to advance the UK’s transition to net zero by supporting original research programmes with stakeholder engagement at their core. Our interdisciplinary team is made up of researchers from across six universities, five UK case study partners, and an expert advisory board. Over the next five years, we will work with our partners and stakeholders to better understand the contexts and challenges of local and regional transitions and co-develop pathways for action.
- Our Mission Statement
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JUST-Systems will design and deliver systems approaches that support and build capacity for interventions that achieve a Just Transitionto Net Zero, focusing on people and place.
JUST-Systems will place people at the centre of change, accelerating action on decarbonisation, vibrant local economies, wellbeing and social justice. We want to identify alternative framings and interventionsfor just transitions,include a diversity of voices including from marginalised and excluded communities, improve the evidence base for transitions and scale up action on co-benifts.
JUST-Systems will facilitate dialogues and partnerships with communities and stakeholders and support shared learning and capacity building at scale drawing on holistic systems thinking to drive change.
- Our Objectives
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Understand the perspectives, values and visions for Net Zero through the lens of people and place.
Align people 'centric' visions with evidence to understand pathways and trade-offs around interventions for achieving Net Zero that enhance co-benefits in health and wellbeing, local infrastructure and community wealth.
Apply the learning from five case studies that represent a diversity of Net Zero challenges to build pragmatic, people centred and robust solutions at scale and across sectors.
Build local capacity and resilience and accelerate action to achieve the 2030 UK climate targets.
Case Study Partners
Our case studies will contribute to understanding key issues in local places and as exemplars for more widespread action. Centred around capacity building, learning and engagement the cases include:
- Aberdeen
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The Torry Retrofit Project (Aberdeen) is a new community initiative born out of a citizen assembly that will aim to improve local housing, infrastructure and community development to address fuel poverty, health, local economic development and deepening participation. We will work with our partners NESFIT, Transition Catalyst and NESCAN in delivery.
- East Ayrshire
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East Ayrshire Council and The Community Renewable Energy Project (CoRE) aim to transform energy systems in East Ayrshire to make rural ex-mining communities better connected, healthier and improve living standards. JUST-Systems will work with communities to develop options around new local distribution networks, housing and infrastructure and community-based generation. We will work with our partner East Ayrshire Council in delivery.
- Clackmannanshire
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Clackmannanshire is the smallest local authority on mainland Scotland and is home to some of the most disadvantaged communities in Scotland. This case will engage with the local authority and communities on decarbonised heat and energy for a healthier, wealthier and greener future, exploring disadvantaged communities’ energy challenges, increasing participation and supporting Net Zero planning and engagement. We will work with our partner Clackmannanshire Council in delivery.
- Wales
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Working with the Welsh Government’s Department for Health and Social Services and Climate Change and Fuel Poverty Division we will explore the challenges in the domiciliary care sector in Wales. With domiciliary care workers across the UK estimated to travel more than four million miles daily, this case will look at how the domiciliary care sector can align with Net Zero and a Just Transition and address competing priorities at a national scale.
- Reading
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In Reading, we will explore innovation around the upscaling of heat networks and the role of local anchor institutions to expand heat networks with an emphasis on public institutions and deprived communities. Working with Reading Council, Maid Energy, the University of Reading and the NHS we will look at how collective efforts can improve fuel poverty and local infrastructure.
Academic Partners
- Uni of Aberdeen
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- Prof John Bone - Aberdeen Case Study Lead
- Prof Clare Bond
- Dr Rebecca Macklin - Co-Lead for WP5
- Prof Alireza Maheri - Co-Lead for WP2
- Ramin Mansouri
- Prof Tavis Potts - Project Lead, Co-Lead for WP1
- Dr Daria Shapovalova
- Dr Srinivas Sriramula
- Daniela van Heerden - Project Manager
- Leonardo Ricaurte Ospina
- Uni of Stirling
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- Dr Jennifer Dickie - Deputy Project Lead, Clackamannashire Case Study Lead, Co-Lead for WP1 and WP5
- Uni of Reading
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- Dr Martin Green
- Prof Libby Schwebber - Co-Lead for WP3
- Dr Mehdi Shahrestani - Co-Lead for WP2
- Prof Stefan Thor Smith - Reading Case Study Lead
- Dr Amelie Dakoure
- Uni of Strathclyde
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- Dr Iain Cairns
- Prof Matthew Hannon - East Ayrshire Case Study Lead, Co-Lead for WP4
- Dr Jennifer Roberts
- Finlay Bain Kerr
- Uni of Edinburgh
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- Prof Kate Carter - Co-Lead for WP4
- Connor Smith
- Uni of Warwick
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- Prof Philip Taylor - Wales Case Study Lead, Co-Lead for WP3
- Dr Katharina Sarter
Work Packages
- WP1
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- Project oversight & governance
- Coordination of interdisciplinary science & impact
- WP2
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- Energy, carbon, economic modelling (MOHRES +) + new social, built and health metrics
- Development of public interface for Net Zero Systems Platform
- WP3
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- Deep local engagement with stakeholders with emphasis on marginalised and unrepresented groups
- Exploring alternatives & options and interventions that are socially acceptable
- WP4
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- Synthesis of 5 case studies into wider context
- Aligning policy and governance with whole systems approaches around key challenges
- WP5
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- Capacity building & collective learning across the 5 case studies & partners
- Delivery of Capacity Building Fund
News and Updates
For live updates, commentary and blogs on the project visit the JUST-Systems LinkedIn page