A European Just Transition for a Better World

Whether we are thinking about the evolving climate crisis, the urgent need for geopolitical energy autonomy or the detrimental impact of the extractive economy on communities and nature around the world, it is clear that Europe faces a crucial challenge: it needs to transition its economy incredibly quickly towards one that provides everyone with the opportunity to live a good life within planetary boundaries. But the faster one needs to change, the ­greater the risk of people and regions being left ­behind. The development and implementation of a just transition is therefore essential for the times we are living in. What kinds of policy and funding do we need to make the transition happen in an equitable way, ensuring that the fundamental rights of all are guaranteed in an inclusive society? And how does this translate into the divergent realities of different regions in Europe, and in the Global South?

Dirk Holemans is the co-president of the Green European Foundation (GEF) and a co-founder and director of Oikos, the green Flemish think tank that aims for social-ecological change. Building a collaborative ecological economy is at the heart of the organization’s activities. It researches and inspires new citizens’ initiatives. He is also editor-in-chief of Oikos’s eponymous journal. He has previously been a member of parliament (in Flanders) and a city councillor (in Ghent) for the green party. He has worked as a researcher and lecturer at different universities in Europe.