Home is where the heart is. And for the 1.9 million people who call Northern Ireland home, it has a special place in our hearts. But home, in its Greek form oikos, is also the root word of both ecology and economy. It is the synchronisation of these vital processes, through actions to achieve net-zero emissions and create a circular economy by 2050, that lies at the heart of tackling climate change. Yet it is also the synchronisation of this unparalleled shift in decarbonisation with society as a whole that lies at the heart of a Just Transition to this low-carbon future.
Doing so ‘in a way which is fair and just and does not leave anyone behind’, in the words of DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA, is the subject of the current DAERA consultation on establishing a Just Transition Commission to oversee the implementation of the Just Transition elements of Northern Ireland’s Climate Change Act. It is also the subject of a new policy brief from ARK, Northern Ireland’s Social Policy hub, based on a policy roundtable held with 20 diverse stakeholders in October 2024.
Across the categories of legislating, implementing, resourcing and equalising, the participants from the community, voluntary and statutory sectors, government departments, private sector, and academia considered how a Just Transition could be achieved in Northern Ireland. Their views, shared under the Chatham House rule, can help us to consider the challenges and the opportunities of reaching net-zero Northern Ireland. Several stand out.
Firstly, having the political will to empower and sustain the Just Transition Commission is essential. Secondly, much greater coordination within and between government departments to achieve a Just Transition is needed.
Thirdly, considering climate change mitigation and adaptation in the context of other policies, from tackling fuel poverty to promoting rural and economic development, is critical. Fourthly, learning from other jurisdictions, and from the speed and scale of the response to COVID-19, is important for addressing the climate emergency.
Outside of government, the role of universities and civil society in pursuing social, and not just technical, innovation and solutions was emphasised as another key point. Sixthly, opportunities at the community and citizen level, including localised renewable energy generation, can help to ground a Just Transition, and its benefits, in local areas. Lastly, and from a good relations perspective, there are both challenges and opportunities in ensuring Northern Ireland’s conflict and post-conflict legacies are considered on the pathway to net zero.
Overall, therefore, making a Just Transition work in Northern Ireland means making it work for and with the people of Northern Ireland. Achieving it will not be easy and there will be conflicts between interests and ideas. But the potential benefits – social, economic and ecological – far outweigh the costs. And the extraordinary achievements of the Northern Irish peace process provide a powerful precedent that we can address conflicts and challenges together. Ultimately, at the heart of tackling climate change by synchronising ecology and economy – a Just Transition – is society. A society for whom Northern Ireland is and will always be, in our hearts and in our lives, home sweet home.
The featured image appears courtesy of a Creative Commons License.