Speaker
Description
This paper investigates the local impacts of just transition policies in Ireland’s Midlands, focusing on communities most affected by the closure of peat power plants. These regions face the dual challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon economy while addressing historical disinvestment and limited capacity to develop new green pathways (Tödtling & Trippl, 2018; Grillitsch & Hansen, 2019). Despite initiatives such as the National Just Transition Framework and the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF), studies capturing the initial phases of the just transition process in the Midlands point to insufficient re-employment opportunities, inadequate engagement with affected workers and communities, and a misalignment between funded projects and local needs (Bresnihan & Brodie, 2021; Banerjee & Schuitema, 2022).
This paper presents the preliminary findings of a research project that analyses the socio-economic impacts of the just transition process in the Midlands, employing a mixed-methods approach to answer the following questions: How effectively do funded initiatives align with the socio-economic and skill development needs of local communities during the low-carbon transition? To what extent do current programs contribute to long-term development, community resilience and economic diversification? While the quantitative analysis focuses on socio-economic data to assess shifts in employment, income, and demographics within JTF targeted counties and municipal districts in the Midlands, in-depth interviews with community organizations, affected workers, and local officials, will provide insights into the effectiveness of current policies in addressing short-term needs related to workforce training and re-employment, as well as fostering longer-term economic diversification and community resilience.
The findings will contribute to the broader discourse on just transitions, highlighting the gaps between policy objectives and practical implementation and providing actionable recommendations to better support communities and workers affected by low-carbon transitions.
References
Banerjee, A. and Schuitema, G. (2023) ‘Spatial justice as a prerequisite for a just transition in rural areas? The case study from the Irish peatlands’, Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 41(6), pp. 1096–1112. https://doi.org/10.1177/23996544231173210.
Bresnihan, P. and Brodie, P. (2021) ‘New extractive frontiers in Ireland and the moebius strip of wind/data’, Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 4(4), pp. 1645–1664. https://doi.org/10.1177/2514848620970121.
Grillitsch, M. and Hansen, T. (2019) ‘Green industry development in different types of regions’, European Planning Studies, 27(11), pp. 2163–2183. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2019.1648385.
Tödtling, F. and Trippl, M. (2018) ‘Regional innovation policies for new path development – beyond neo-liberal and traditional systemic views’, European Planning Studies, 26(9), pp. 1779–1795. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2018.1457140.
| Keywords | just transitions, climate justice, local development, community resilience |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
