Environmental Democracy

In recent years Just Transition has been the subject of significant research and analysis and is increasingly enshrined in legal obligations at national and supranational level. It has been widely acknowledged that just transition policies and initiatives can deliver useful measures and on the ground action to address the social risks of industrial decarbonisation and make decarbonisation socially fair and...

The concept of a just transition has broadened from focusing mainly on protecting workers in high-emission industries to addressing the unequal impacts of climate policies on vulnerable and marginalized groups. Closely tied to ideas of climate justice and equity, it has legal relevance in Ireland and Northern Ireland. In Ireland, just transition principles are indirectly supported under section 3(3) of...

Ireland must submit a Social Climate Plan (SCP) to the European Commission by 30 June 2025, outlining how it will use EU Social Climate Fund (SCF) resources to address the social impacts of the new EU Emissions Trading System 2 (ETS2), which extends carbon pricing to buildings and road transport. Although Ireland has a derogation from ETS2 from 2027 to...

The Social Climate Fund (SCF) is part of the European Union's Fit for 55 package and is the first fund dedicated to counterbalancing the negative socio-economic effects of the extension of the Emissions Trading System (ETS 2) that will apply to the transport and heating & cooling sectors.1 Social Climate Plans (SCPs) outline how Member States will allocate SCF resources...

This joint assessment represents the collaborative work of the Environmental Justice Network Ireland (EJNI), and the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition Ireland.  This document is an assessment of Ireland’s final draft NECP.

This document is a compilation or ‘bibliography’ of research and resources connected to the concept of a ‘Just and Fair Transition’. {update: 24th Nov 2025}

The following statement on behalf of the Environmental Justice Network of Ireland will highlight some key recent challenges to Access to Justice and upcoming developments. These include the presentation of a Bill in Ireland that seeks to drastically reduce access to justice in environmental matters, in the name of speeding up the planning process, a review of the missed opportunities...

This presentation summarises issues identified in two separate but related collaborative research projects on cross border environmental co-operation and justice issues : 1) “Finding Common Ground” an all-island study of the implementation of the Aarhus Convention in Ireland/Northern Ireland which was conducted collaboratively with Irish and Northern Irish NGOs and academics 2) “Linking the Irish Environment”, this research sought to...

This report summarises issues identified in the climate governance architecture of the EU, focusing on access to information in relation to the preparation of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).

A background paper regarding access to information on emissions in a cross-border context on the Island of Ireland post-Brexit.