With the UK still reliant on oil and gas to meet more than 75% of the country's total energy demand, there are many challenges in moving towards a more diverse and decarbonised economy. Work across the University of Aberdeen - including through the Interdisciplinary Institute's Centre for Energy Transition - highlights that technical solutions alone are insufficient in achieving national Net Zero outcomes. In order to be considered just, the transition must address workforce security, build community wealth and address pressing social justice concerns like persistent fuel poverty.
In this context the JUST-Systems project is developing practical pathways to accelerate climate action while building on community aspirations for sustainable, liveable and resilient places. Anchored in the transition to Net Zero, the project adopts a people and place centred systems approach that recognises the need for a just transition — identifying opportunities to accelerate decarbonisation while ensuring that this leads to outcomes that help address deep societal challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis, marginalised communities and meaningful participation.
Led by the University of Aberdeen, the £5.7m interdisciplinary partnership brings together researchers from six UK universities alongside community organisations, businesses, local authorities and governments. Research spans social sciences, engineering, law, geosciences and the humanities, examining how systems approaches can unlock Net Zero solutions at scale, break down barriers to action and empower communities to take ownership of solutions. Professor Tavis Potts, co-director of the Just Transition Lab, and Lead Investigator of JUST-Systems, notes that the project will not only integrate technical, social and policy perspectives to inform policy makers but actively support systems-based action for change.
The five-year project is part of UKRI’s Building a Green Future strategic theme and brings together the Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Warwick and Reading, with support from the UK Committee on Climate Change, the UK Government, the devolved Scottish and Welsh Governments, and a range of local authority and civil society partners.