Effective just transitions require locally driven solutions that prioritize inclusion, agency, and accountability, ensuring that communities, cities, and national policies align to create equitable and sustainable economic opportunities.
Addressing climate change and environmental challenges requires solutions that are locally grounded and tailored to meet the needs of workers, families, and communities. The Laudes Foundation, along with the Wallace Global Fund and Ford Foundation, studied 632 local initiatives and found that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work — effective transitions must be shaped by local contexts. Key to this effort is fostering inclusion, agency, and accountability, ensuring that marginalized communities have a voice in decision-making, the power to influence policies, and that all stakeholders are held responsible for equitable outcomes.
Several initiatives demonstrate the impact of local action, such as the Green Consortium in Jharkhand, India, which has reskilled over 8,000 coal workers for green jobs by redirecting existing government funds. Similarly, cities play a crucial role in just transitions by implementing locally driven sustainability strategies. For example, C40 Cities developed a toolkit for mayors to support urban transformation, highlighting how New Delhi successfully phased out diesel generators without raising electricity costs by engaging affected communities in decision-making. These cases show that balancing environmental goals with economic and social equity requires direct community participation.
At the national level, organizations like the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) ensure that just transition strategies reflect workers’ realities. The ITUC’s Just Transition Centre has helped incorporate labor concerns into national climate policies, earning recognition for bridging the gap between policy and lived experience. While local action is essential, broader global factors—such as trade policies and financial systems—also influence the success of just transitions. To achieve meaningful progress, governments, businesses, investors, and philanthropists must collaborate to develop policies, unlock funding, and drive systemic change rooted in equity and sustainability.
FULL STORY: Why a local approach to the just transition is so important — and so effective
Equity in Energy: Protecting Livelihoods and Restoring Communities
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy must be equitable, ensuring that workers receive support, communities are revitalized, and degraded lands are restored to create a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Just Transition: Bringing Equity to the Clean Energy Conversation
A new report from the Environmental Defense Fund offers a roadmap for countries, energy companies, and other stakeholders to navigate the complexities of transitioning to clean energy while ensuring equity at every step of the process.
Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Washington State Plans Ambitious ‘Cycle Highway’ Network
The state is directing funding to close gaps in its existing bike network and make long-distance trips more accessible.
Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.
Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland