Just transitions on the ground: Ecological civilisation in urban China?

Addressing the challenge of anthropogenic climate change entails a global transition towards decarbonization. This transition process needs to be not only environmentally sustainable, but also socially just and inclusive. Nevertheless, the term 'just transition' is often approached theoretically instead of empirically, leading to a lack of substantive meaning and contextual sensitivity. Moving away from an abstract and normative approach to just transition, this project will engage with just transitions on the ground through exploration of a high-profile transition strategy in contemporary China: 'ecological civilisation.' Specifically, the project takes up the city as the unit of analysis and examines whether, how, and to what extent ecological civilisation is designed and pursued in practice as a form of just transition. The project will generate evidence-based insights into the potential pathways for a just transition.

Dr Ping Huang, University of Sheffield; Dr Xiaohui Hu, Nanjing Normal University; Professor David Tyfield, Lancaster University; Dr Linda Westman, University of Sheffield