Just Scapes

Environmental justice analysis to advance rural landscape transformations in the face of climate change

SOLSTICESocietal transformation

Just Scapes investigates “just transformation” in rural Europe. We’re looking at the societal effects of rural land use responses to climate change, such as afforestation. We’re seeking to understand “justice barriers” to successfully implementing climate responses: where measures are not accepted locally, because they disproportionately impact on some groups of people, either economically or culturally.

Just Scapes uses interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary methods, from geography, psychology, political science, futures studies and creative writing. We’re conducting interviews, surveys, writing workshops and multi-stakeholder ‘Transformation Labs’ linked to ongoing policy consultations in each landscape.

Project website: https://just-scapes.uea.ac.uk

European rural environmental justice.Our literature review suggests that this is little-explored. We’ll contribute to addressing this gap – theoretically and empirically.
Interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary approach.From semi-structured interviews to surveys to creative writing – we’re seeking transdisciplinary, multifaceted findings in our Czech, French and Scottish fieldsites.
Justice and the existing policy landscape.Our multi-stakeholder ‘Transformation Labs’ will be tailored to real ongoing climate policy debates in each landscape – at both local and European-levels.

About

Local
Both Labs and writing workshops are place-based (i.e. tailored to local needs, policies and tensions). Together with participating stakeholders, we’ll co-produce “Justice Manifestos” and help communicate them to policymakers.

National / Regional
We’re working with local partners who are keyed into wider debates – e.g. French National Parks. They ensure our national relevance, but we’ll also influence them to become “practitioner champions” for just transformations.

Global
We’ll exploit our links to science-policy platforms/initiatives, e.g. IPBES; Global Taskforce on Planetary Justice. We’ll publish in high-level journals, so our understanding/methodologies can be applied in rural land-use climate actions globally.

Prof Adrian Martin

LPI of the project

I am an environmental social scientist motivated by the challenge of finding ways to reconcile responses to global environmental crises with the needs and aspirations of local communities. Much of my research has been in the global South where protected area conservation has often imposed costs on local communities, through reduced access to and control over local landscapes. The Just Scapes project continues this concern for environmental justice, exploring how transformation to net zero carbon can be done fairly in rural Europe.

Project consortium

Global Change Research Centre Czech Academy of Sciences
University of East Anglia
Lille Catholic University
National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment

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Parent programme

SOLSTICE

Enabling Societal Transformation in the Face of Climate Change

SOLSTICE is a joint transnational call for proposals. JPI Climate invited the SSH community to take the lead and to submit proposals that address the societal aspects of climate change. Building on an emerging trend of research, SOLSTICE offered a transnational framework with higher levels of funding than before. The rationale for this call was outlined in the JPI Climate's 2019 White Paper on societal transformation in the face of climate change.

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