Joined Up Sustainability Transformations (JUST)

JUST is a major research initiative focused on the pursuit of sustainability transformations that are people-centred, ‘joined-up’ and socially just.

Bringing together the universities of Manchester, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, and Newcastle, and with partners in the policy, innovation, business, local government, community and voluntary sector, it seeks to accelerate understanding of a just transition through coordinating research into action at all levels of society.

Across five regions in the North of England and with national reach and significance, it explores existing initiatives adopted by communities, municipalities, and businesses to pursue low-carbon living (LCL). Our interdisciplinary team works with a wide range of partners in those communities, not only to learn from existing initiatives but also to co-produce new ones.

We aim to go beyond dominant approaches that focus on ‘behaviour change’ to explain how more transformative and socially just approaches to low carbon living can be developed and scaled.

The overall aims of JUST’s programme of research are to investigate:

(i) What works, when, where and for whom - and what could work - to facilitate the development and implementation of joined-up interventions for a just transition to LCL?

(ii) How, where and with whose participation can sustainability transformations be accelerated – in ways that combine sustainability with justice – for citizens in places that benefit least from dominant economic and political systems?

(iii) What lessons for just sustainability transformations can governments, businesses, and communities learn from place-based, co-produced action research?

To get in touch with the researcher team, please email Sherilyn MacGregor at sherilyn.macgregor@manchester.ac.uk.