Explain’d: The Just Transition
At Colectivo, we know that for sustainability to be FutureProof, it has to be clear. Welcome to Explain’d, our new series dedicated to stripping away the jargon and focusing on the concepts that define our work.
With World Day of Social Justice arriving on February 20th, there is no better term to start with than the Just Transition.
What is a "Just Transition"?
In its simplest form, a Just Transition means ensuring that the move toward a green, low-carbon economy is fair, inclusive, and leaves no one behind.
While "Transition" refers to the technical shift from traditional to more environmentally responsible models , the "Just" part focuses on the people, ensuring that the workers, communities, and regions most affected by this change are supported.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines it this way: “Greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind.”
The term wasn't created by climate scientists or policy-makers, but by North American trade unions around the 1970s.
Labor leader Tony Mazzocchi originally campaigned for a "Superfund for Workers". He argued that if the government could pay to clean up toxic waste sites, it should also pay to support the workers who lost their jobs because of new environmental regulations. Eventually, the name was refined to "Just Transition" to better reflect the alliance between labor rights and environmental protection.
What people hear vs. What they might not know
What people hear: "It’s about protecting industrial jobs."
What they might not know: It’s much broader than that. A Just Transition also involves gender equity (e.g. ensuring women have access to new green STEM jobs), indigenous rights (e.g. protecting land from irresponsible mineral mining), and digital inclusion (e.g. ensuring everyone has the skills to work in a high-tech green economy).
Why it matters right now
The theme for World Day of Social Justice 2026 is “Empowering Inclusion: Bridging Gaps for Social Justice”.
At Colectivo, we see the Just Transition as a strategic imperative, not just a moral one. If the transition isn't Just, communities will likely resist changes that they feel threaten their livelihoods.
By embedding social justice principles into our Activate and Redesign service packages, we help organisations build a future where social equity and business growth can happen in tandem.
