White Paper: A Just Energy Transition in the EU

Energy system transitions are complex socio-technical processes involving changes not only to energy technologies but also to the broader social and economic aspects of energy production and consumption. These energy transitions could negatively affect the people that they claim to serve, exacerbating current vulnerabilities and creating new ones. Consequently, striving for a more equitable distribution of benefits and burdens and ensuring that vulnerable groups are not disproportionately harmed is increasingly seen as a crucial success factor for a just transition. Based on these premises, the Joint Programme Clean Energy Transition for Sustainable Society has published a white paper on a Just Energy Transition (JET), addressing both the theoretical and the policy challenges of ensuring that the justice dimension is properly considered and implemented in EU energy transition pathways. In this paper, JET is intended in the exclusive sense of the European socio-economic and environmental consequences and ethical implications of transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources.