A just transition or just a transition? The understanding and relevance of fairness in planning for a decarbonised transport system

The slow progress on reducing carbon emissions from transport means that, in many economies, it is the highest emitting sector. To comply with agreed carbon budgets, a complete transformation of the energy sources used and a shift in how and how much people travel are known to be necessary. Given the UK's target of achieving Net Zero by 2050, little time is left to entirely reconfigure the mobility system. The transport systems of today exhibit large inequalities between people and places. What happens next could reduce or widen these inequalities. The idea of using the required transition to create a fairer society has been recognised in terms such as the ‘just transition’. However, what do these ideas mean to the planners in charge of decarbonising transport, and to what extent do fairness considerations actually influence the pathway choices ahead?

The paper reports on a case study of the UK, using content analysis of transport strategies and interviews with transport planners at UK bodies of governance ranging from local to national level. It finds that fairness frames rarely featured in decision making. Inequalities in the current transport system and differences between groups and places were recognised. However, there is no clear recognition of how these inequalities can be resolved and, worryingly, how new ones will be avoided under a rapidly changing and decarbonising transport system. There are significant risks that decarbonisation is seen as just a transition rather than an opportunity which creates a just transition.