The Centre for Joined Up Sustainability Transformations (JUST) will accelerate the understanding of a just transition at all levels of society.

Professor Derek Bell, Professor of Environmental Political Theory, and Professor Danny Mackinnon, Professor of Regional Development and Governance, will be the centre’s leads at Newcastle University.  

Launching in February 2025, it will work closely with communities in five regions of the North of England (West Yorkshire, West Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and Tyneside) and partners across local, regional, and national government, business, and civil society, to co-produce joined-up solutions to meet climate goals while improving citizens’ quality of life. 

Led by the University of Manchester, the JUST centre will bring together a team of interdisciplinary social scientists at the universities of Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Lancaster, as well as Newcastle. The Institute for Community Studies at the not-for-profit organisation The Young Foundation is the core partner.

Additional partners are Citizens UK, the Local Government Associations for England and Wales, the Scottish Sustainability Network, the British Chambers of Commerce, the NHS Confederation, the Runnymede Trust and the Institute for Government.

Professor Danny Mackinnon explained: “Newcastle University will be involved in leading the research in Tyneside, working closely with community groups to address climate change though action research that supports an equitable and sustainable move to low carbon living at the local level.”

The centre will use an innovative mix of data science and participatory methods to research and map existing low carbon living initiatives, generating comparative research in other regions of the UK. This will provide evidence about what works where, why, and for whom, enabling researchers to support better government decision-making as well as demonstrate to all the real improvements in quality of life that are possible if decarbonisation is linked with regeneration.

The centre has received a £8m investment over five years and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and UKRI as part of its strategic focus on building a green future. 

ESRC Executive Chair, Stian Westlake, said: “Our centres carry out interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research in the social sciences that seeks to change the world for the better. They allow ESRC to make sustained investments in strategically important areas, giving researchers the freedom to research topics in depth.

“The climate crisis is one of the most serious challenges the world faces. To successfully transition to a zero-carbon economy, we need to make sure no one is left behind. The JUST Centre will show us how to include everyone as we transform our country and economy, finding new opportunities and putting power in the hands of local communities.”

Press release adapted with thanks to the University of Manchester.