Transitional Environmental Justice (EnJUSTICE) is a new research project aiming to bring the voices of marginalized communities into the conversation about the Nordic-Baltic region's green transition strategy. Vasileios Galis from the IT University of Copenhagen leads the project group that includes Ida Nafstad of the Sociology of Law Department.
"Climate strategies rarely include smaller countries, Indigenous peoples, or local citizens, whose unique social systems, values, and knowledge are ignored," Nafstad says. "This goes against the Nordic tradition of involving all stakeholders in public policy decisions."
Additionally, the increasing influence of EU laws and the mismatch between national policies and global environmental issues make achieving a fair energy transition even harder.
EnJUSTICE wants to change this by promoting democratic engagement and citizen participation in environmental policy-making. Focusing on Greenland, Lithuania, and Sápmi, the project explores ways to balance power between marginalized communities and influential stakeholders. By partnering with Indigenous and grassroots groups, EnJUSTICE aims to incorporate their perspectives on environmental justice into a comprehensive Nordic approach to green transition.
This project hopes to transform the energy transition process into a fairer and more inclusive effort, ensuring that all voices are considered in the move towards fossil-free energy in the region.
In total, EnJUSTICE received more than €1,3 million from NordForsk. Part of the funds will go to hiring a postdoc at the Sociology of Law Department.