Mapping Just Transition legal obligations on the island of Ireland
Publications: Environmental Democracy
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 the revised Climate Act and directly included via section 4(8), requiring climate planning to consider just transition among other factors. Constitutional and human rights protections may help fill any legal gaps in safeguarding affected communities.
At the EU level, various just transition tools exist—like the Just Transition Fund and the Social Climate Fund—but they have been criticized for lacking enforceable rights. In Northern Ireland, recent legislation (Climate Change Act 2022) includes strong just transition provisions, such as establishing a dedicated fund and commission. The Windsor Framework’s human rights guarantees may also support just transition efforts.
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