Recognising recent academic and policy calls for just and inclusive sustainability transitions, the project will support the development of effective, equitable and publicly acceptable policies for efficient and/or reduced energy use within the areas of (1) mobility, (2) shelter, and (3) consumption patterns.  Through identifying socially just policies that benefit, rather than burden, low-income groups, the project ensures that not only the environmental and economic dimensions, but also the social dimension of sustainability is taken into consideration when designing policies for sustainability transitions. COJUST uses a practice-oriented approach to energy justice and new methods by combining storytelling and living experiments.  The workshops will be used to gather data on low-income groups’ assessment of the social and equity impacts of a range of existing and potential energy and climate mitigation policies, their ideas for more appropriate policies and their everyday practices related to the three identified policy areas, mobility, shelter and consumption.

The project has three main objectives:  

(1) To recognize and amplify low-income group views on policies aimed at facilitating sustainability transitions.   

(2) To understand the possible social impacts of a range of energy and
climate mitigation policies und how these policies can overcome social
justice challenges. 

(3) To understand low-income groups everyday practices within the three
topic areas mobility, shelter and consumption patterns. 

Method

COJUST is focusing on three different municiplaities; Trondheim, Bergen and Stavanger. We study the role and principles of equality and justice in policy development, and work with new forms of participation that can capture the interests of low-income groups in a better way. To do this, the project is uses two methodological approaches:

1) Document studies

Through document studies, we want to investigate how Trondheim, Stavanger and Bergen works with energy and climate planning, as well as how the economic, environmental, and social aspect of sustainability is emphasized in this work. 

2) Storytelling workshops  

The project applies storytelling workshops to provide evidence to support the development of effective, equitable and publicly acceptable policies for efficient and/or reduced energy use related to the three areas: (1) mobility, (2) shelter, and (3) consumption patterns. The purpose is to investigate the social consequences of energy and climate measures for this group.