Filling in social “justice gaps”: Going beyond technical dynamics in just transition processes

Policies that aim to protect the environment have unintended consequences on marginalized communities. Often translating into increased pressures on such communities, these consequences may be linked to top-down decision-making practices that do not consider the preferences and priorities of the marginalized in society. In this chapter, the just transition (JT) policy processes are explored for Hainaut, Belgium. The elaboration of the Territorial Just Transition Plan has guided these processes and led to three axes for the JT in the region (industry, energy, and socio-economic). However, through interviews and multi-actor forums with marginalized communities, important "justice gaps" were identified. For each axis, decision-makers prioritized technical and innovation concerns over social ones, leading to unintended consequences for marginalized communities. Looking through a socio-technical lens, this chapter concludes that JT decision-making processes led to a technical decarbonization focus in the region, but without an accompanying social shift. Considering the perspectives of marginalized communities may help fill these gaps, account for the needs of the marginalized, and support leaving no one behind in JT processes.