A just transition needs more than good intentions

Europe's green and digital transitions are essential to tackling climate change and strengthening Europe's economy. They will create new industries and employment opportunities, but they will also bring significant disruption for workers, sectors and regions.

The challenge for policymakers is therefore not simply how to deliver the transition, but how to ensure it is fair.

In a new article, Dr Giorgos Galanis argues that a just transition should not be judged solely by the number of jobs created or by overall economic gains. Instead, policymakers should ask a more fundamental question: who bears the greatest burden of change, and are those burdens being fairly shared?

Looking beyond job creation

Drawing on research published in Ecological Economics, Dr Galanis argues that transition policies should be judged by how effectively they protect the workers and communities most affected by economic change.

A policy cannot be considered just simply because it delivers overall economic benefits. It should also minimise the greatest relative burden experienced by those facing job losses, reduced incomes or the need to retrain.

Why Europe needs stronger protections

European legislation already provides important protections for workers affected by restructuring. However, Dr Galanis argues that existing rules do not amount to a comprehensive framework for managing the social consequences of Europe's green and digital transitions.

While guidance, funding programmes and voluntary agreements all have an important role to play, they cannot guarantee meaningful participation, paid retraining or income protection for workers whose livelihoods are affected by economic transformation.

A framework for a just transition

The article argues that Europe should establish a binding legal framework that provides minimum protections while allowing flexibility in implementation across different industries and regions.

Among the proposals are:

• earlier consultation and negotiation before major restructuring decisions are made;
• mandatory just transition plans;
• access to paid training and reskilling;
• income and employment protection during periods of adjustment;
• effective enforcement of workers' rights; and
• conditions attached to public funding that promote fair employment practices.

Informing the policy debate

As discussions continue on Europe's approach to a just transition, Dr Galanis argues that justice cannot remain an aspiration alone. Without enforceable minimum standards, the protections available to workers will continue to depend on voluntary commitments and uneven institutional strength.

Ultimately, a just transition should be measured not simply by environmental or economic outcomes, but by whether workers and communities facing the greatest burdens are genuinely protected and able to influence the decisions that affect their futures.

Further reading

This blog is based on Dr Giorgos Galanis' article, A Just Transition Needs More Than Good Intentions, which explores these issues in greater detail.

View/Download the full article: A_Just_Transition_Needs_More_Than_Good_Intentions.pdf [PDF 162KB]

The arguments also build on the peer-reviewed research:

Galanis, G., Napoletano, M., Popoyan, L., Sapio, A. and Vardakoulias, O. (2025). Defining Just Transition. Ecological Economics, 227, 108370.

Read the journal article