Just transition as transition in justice : Really learning from, about and with China

Tyfield, D. and Huang, Ping (2026) Just transition as transition in justice : Really learning from, about and with China. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 58: 101060. ISSN 2210-4224

Text (Perspective - EIST - Just Transition - author accepted PURE 1025)
Perspective_-_EIST_-_Just_Transition_-_author_accepted_PURE_1025.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (459kB)

Abstract

Humanity is undergoing an unprecedented and irreversible transformation, reshaping both the planet and society. The concept of "just transition" has become a central narrative in climate and environmental discourses, yet prevailing scholarship often treats justice as a fixed, universal ideal, attaching it to transition without critically examining its contextual and evolving nature. This Perspective challenges such static interpretations, arguing that just transition should be understood as an ongoing process embedded in historically and culturally specific contexts, and so as a question, not a settled standpoint. We delineate what just transition is not: it is neither a predefined endpoint, nor simply the absence of injustice, nor a mechanism that inherently flattens power hierarchies. Drawing on empirical insights from China, we illustrate how local understandings of justice are shaped by place-specific cultural values and historical power structures. By critiquing dominant assumptions and advocating for a more dynamic, context-sensitive approach, this Perspective contributes to a more inclusive and globally relevant discourse on just transition, offering critical insights for scholars and policymakers navigating the complexities of sustainability transformations.