Announced today, a new research centre for Joined Up Sustainability Transformations (JUST) will drive equitable low-carbon living across the UK. The JUST Centre will accelerate understanding of a fair transition to net zero by coordinating research and driving action at all levels of society.
The Young Foundation is the core impact partner of this new partnership, with the University of Manchester set to lead. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) following a multimillion pound investment over five years, the JUST Centre will work with communities in five regions of the North of England (Yorkshire, Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and Tyneside), and collaborate with partners across local, regional, and national government, business, and civil society, to co-produce joined-up solutions to meeting climate goals while improving citizens’ quality of life.
The JUST Centre will use an innovative mix of data science and participatory methods to research and map existing low-carbon living initiatives and generate evidence about what works where, why and for whom. This will enable researchers to support better decision-making by governments, and to demonstrate what is possible when we link decarbonisation with regeneration.
The Centre brings together a team of interdisciplinary social scientists at the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Lancaster and Newcastle. Additional partners are Citizens UK, the Local Government Associations for England and Wales, the Scottish Sustainability Network, British Chambers of Commerce, NHS Confederation, The Runnymede Trust and the Institute for Government.
Support for the JUST Centre
Professor Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero, said:
Achieving net zero by 2050 requires a wide-reaching transformation of the UK economy and offers an incredible opportunity for jobs, secure energy, and growth all across the country. It will improve our health, our quality of life and our overall prosperity. We must support and empower people to participate in the transition. I welcome the establishment of this research centre and its work to ensure a fair, inclusive pathway to net zero.”
Stephen Aldridge, Director, Analysis and Data at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said:
The Centre for Joined-Up Sustainability Transformations (JUST) is precisely the institutional innovation we need and one I, my team and my department will work closely with across all policy areas. I look forward immensely to engaging with the Centre.”
The Rt Hon Lord David Willetts FRS is President of the Resolution Foundation, said:
I congratulate The Young Foundation on securing the funding for this innovative new Centre. I also congratulate the ESRC on another bold initiative to promote fresh thinking in economic and social policy. Tackling climate change is an opportunity to transform our society for the better but there are also risks that some groups are left behind – this Centre can help show how we can avoid that happening.”
‘Connecting sustainability with justice’
The JUST Centre is funded by UKRI, through both the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and as part of its Building a Green Future strategic objective. As ESRC Executive Chair, Stian Westlake, explained, “The climate crisis is one of the most serious challenges the world faces. To successfully transition to a zero-carbon economy, we need to make sure no one is left behind. The JUST Centre will show us how to include everyone as we transform our country and economy, finding new opportunities and putting power in the hands of local communities.”
JUST Centre Director and Principal Investigator, Professor Sherilyn MacGregor added: “By connecting sustainability with justice, and research with action, JUST will accelerate the capacity for transformative action towards sustainable futures for all places and communities across the UK.”
The JUST Centre will start work in February 2025 and launch publicly in March 2025, with the first phase of its life running through to 2030. On today’s announcement, The Young Foundation’s Director of Sustainability and Just Transition, Emily Morrison, reflects: “Transition to a greener, healthier, and prosperous low-carbon future, can only be achieved with the participation of all households and places in the UK, and will only be just if it is accessible to all communities. It is time to move beyond ‘net zero’ to ensure a transformative shift for the UK. The JUST Centre is a pivotal investment in making this possible. Through deep policy engagement, and by building participation in neighbourhoods, with businesses, and with the public sector and the voluntary sector, we will work with government to shape a fairer, greener future.”
Civil Society Climate change Local economies Local government & public services Posted on: 6 November 2024