The aim of this course is to introduce MA students to the core aspects of the Just Transition, which relate to social protection and employment policies. The Just Transition refers to the shift that countries need to make from high- to low-carbon economies to reach the goal of net-zero carbon emissions, and in this process, considers the need to accommodate workers employed in affected sectors. Students will be acquainted with the core preconditions that countries need to meet in order to make the transition towards a green economy just for workers. This includes strengthened social dialogue between representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, active labor market policies and lifelong learning schemes that promote the creation of new skills, the creation of decent employment, policies that promote social inclusion and non-discrimination, as well as adequate social protection schemes to ensure income support for workers facing a transition. The main focus of the course will be on European regions, but we will make use of examples from other countries and regions as well.
The course was developed with the support of the project "Environmental Module of the Master's Program in Public and Social Policy at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University," financed by the European Union as part of the National Recovery Plan.
Kurz vznikl za podpory projektu "Environmentální modul magisterského studijního programu Veřejná a sociální politika při FSV UK" financovaného Evropskou unií v rámci Národního plánu obnovy.
Poslední úprava: Krejčíková Jana, Mgr. (28.08.2024)
Cíl předmětu - angličtina
Students will learn about the core mechanisms, policy frameworks and practices that supra-national and international organizations have adopted to facilitate the Just Transition (for instance, the EU’s Just Transition Mechanism; the International Labor Organization’s Guidelines for a Just Transition towards Environmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies for All), as well as national policy frameworks and their implementation in different countries. Specific objectives include engaging students in critical thinking and studying concerning the topic of the just transition, systematic work with scholarly literature on the topic, policy argumentation and writing, and active participation in lectures and seminars. Students will learn to critically analyze the conditions that, in interaction with each other, may yield policy outcomes that enable or disable a just green transition.
Poslední úprava: Jusić Mirna, M.A., Ph.D. (30.01.2024)
Podmínky zakončení předmětu - angličtina
Students are encouraged to actively participate in both lectures and seminars.
Readings and critical reflections as preparation for lectures & seminars
Students are expected to read the required readings for each lecture and seminar. If there are more texts, students are expected to read all required texts (recommended papers are optional). Students will be engaged in discussions on required readings during each lecture and seminar.
For each topic, students should prepare a critical reflection of the readings, including questions of clarification or topics for discussion (250-500 words per text).
Students have a choice of selecting one text from the required readings to reflect upon. They do not need to reflect upon more than one of the required readings.
Reflections should be submitted in written form to Moodle until the end of Tuesday before the next class (see deadlines in Moodle).
Each reflection should clearly demonstrate that the student has read and understood reading(s) for the given class.
Simulation exercise
Students will be divided into ‘country groups’ and will be asked to represent the positions of governments of different EU member states. They will be asked to formulate their country positions on a fictional draft European Commission Just Transition action plan. In their positions, they will tackle issues such as employment and social protection policies, regional inequalities, and financing. In the process of the simulation, they will try to reach agreement on important issues.
Groups will have the opportunity to select their own countries from EU member states that already have adopted Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs), which is some 16 countries to date.
Groups will prepare a presentation that they will use for guidance during the simulation exercise.
Policy brief
At the end of the semester, students should submit a policy brief focusing on how the just transition can be tackled in a particular country or region (about 2500 words in length).
Students have three due dates for the policy brief. First and second terms can be used for obtaining informal feedback.
In such a case, please indicate in the document title that it is a draft not to be formally evaluated.
The third term is a strict deadline, and all submitted documents will be checked for plagiarism in Turnitin and graded. Informal versions for feedback are to be sent to mirna.jusic@fsv.cuni.cz , while the final should be uploaded in Moodle.
If the final policy brief is not submitted by the third deadline, the student fails to pass the course.
Deadlines for a policy brief in the academic year 2023/2024:
June 1
June 20
July 15
Attendance
Students should actively participate in all classes. Three absences are tolerated during the semester, but the course instructor should always be informed about the reasons for absence (in advance if possible).
Activities and points
Simulation - 30 Points
Five critical reflections (5 points each) - 25 points
Policy brief - 45 points
Total = 100 points
Poslední úprava: Jusić Mirna, M.A., Ph.D. (26.02.2024)
Sylabus - angličtina
Course Schedule
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Dates
Topic / Assignment
1
22. 2.
Introduction to the course & introduction to the Just Transition
· Course aims & assignments, information on division into simulation groups
· Overview of the EU Green Deal & the Just Transition Mechanism
Required readings:
Wong, Xinxin, and Kevin Lo. "Just transition: A conceptual review." Energy Research & Social Science vol. 82 (December 2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102291
Required scholarly readings (please choose one for the critical reflection):
- Green, Fergus, and Ajay Gambhir. "Transitional assistance policies for just, equitable and smooth low-carbon transitions: who, what and how?" Climate Policy 20, no. 8 (2020): 902-921. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2019.1657379
- Sabato, Sebastiano, and Matteo Mandelli. "Towards an EU framework for a just transition: welfare policies and politics for the socio-ecological transition." European Political Science (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41304-023-00458-1
Achieving Social Justice during the Green Transition
· Understanding the different dimensions of social justice in the context of the green transition
· Evaluating regional inequalities and impacts of transition on communities
· Identifying strategies for including local communities and the relevant target groups in decision-making processes
· Critical reflection #2 due 2 April, end of the day (prior to seminar).
Required readings (please choose one for the critical reflection):
· Abram, Simone, Ed Atkins, Alix Dietzel, Kirsten Jenkins, Lorna Kiamba, Joshua Kirshner, Julia Kreienkamp, Karen Parkhill, Tom Pegram, and Lara M. Santos Ayllón. "Just Transition: A whole-systems approach to decarbonisation." Climate Policy 22, no. 8 (2022): 1033-1049. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2022.2108365
· Atapattu, Sumudu. "Environmental justice, climate justice and constitutionalism: protecting vulnerable states and communities." In Research Handbook on Global Climate Constitutionalism, eds. Jordi Jaria-Manzano and Susana Borrás. Edward Elgar online, 2019. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.cuni.cz/10.4337/9781788115810.00017
· Heffron, Raphael J., and Darren McCauley. "Beyond energy justice: towards a just transition." In Research Handbook on Global Climate Constitutionalism, eds. Jordi Jaria-Manzano and Susana Borrás. Edward Elgar online, 2019. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.cuni.cz/10.4337/9781788115810.00022
· García-García, Pablo, Óscar Carpintero, and Luis Buendía. "Just energy transitions to low carbon economies: A review of the concept and its effects on labour and income." Energy Research & Social Science 70 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101664
· Galgóczi, Béla. "Just transition on the ground: Challenges and opportunities for social dialogue." European Journal of Industrial Relations 26, no. 4 (2020): 367-382. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959680120951704
· Baran, Jan, Aleksander Szpor, and Jan Witajewski-Baltvilks. "Low-carbon transition in a coal-producing country: A labour market perspective." Energy Policy 147 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111878
8-9
25.4. & 2.5.
The Just Transition: Environmental and Social Metrics
· Gauging the diversity of indicators for monitoring progress
· Assessing the dual impact on the environment and the society
· Looking at case studies on successful integration of metrics
Critical reflection #4 due 30 April, end of the day (prior to seminar).
Heyen, Dirk Arne. "Measuring a Just Transition in the EU in the context of the 8th Environment Action Programme: An assessment of existing indicators and gaps at the socio-environmental nexus, with suggestions for the way forward." Oeko-Institut, March 2021. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://www.oeko.de/fileadmin/oekodoc/JustTransition-Indicator-Paper.pdf
Required scholarly readings (please choose one for the critical reflection):
· Kirsten E.H. Jenkins, Jennie C Stephens, Tony G. Reames and Diana Hernández. “Towards impactful energy justice research: Transforming the power of academic engagement.” Energy Research & Social Science, 67 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101510.
· Purvis, Ben, and Andrea Genovese. "Better or different? A reflection on the suitability of indicator methods for a just transition to a circular economy." Ecological Economics 212 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.107938
10-11
9.5. & 16.5.
Towards a Just Transition: International Comparisons & Simulation exercise
· Comparative analysis of global just transition efforts
· Lessons learned from international case studies
· Opportunities for collaboration and policy learning
· Note: The seminar on the 16th of May will be devoted to the Simulation exercise.
Each country group presentationfor the simulation exercise must be uploaded in Moodle by 10 May, so that all students can familiarize themselves with all country positions.
· Critical reflection #5 due 21 May pertains to readings below, but will not be due before the following week (prior to last make-up seminar).
Required scholarly readings (please choose one for the critical reflection):
· LaBelle, Michael Carnegie, Roxana Bucată and Ana Stojilovska. "Radical energy justice: a Green Deal for Romanian coal miners?" Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning 25, no. 2 (2023): 142-154. https://doi.rg/10.1080/1523908X.2021.1992266
· Moesker, Karen, and Udo Pesch. "The Just Transition Fund - Did the European Union learn from Europe's past transition experiences?" Energy Research & Social Science 91 (September 2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102750
· McCauley, Darren, Kerry A. Pettigrew, Iain Todd, and Christine Milchram. "Leaders and laggards in the pursuit of an EU just transition." Ecological Economics 205 (March 2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2022.107699
