Just transition in Europe and beyond:
The role of EU policies
With the EU shifting toward a low-carbon economy, a key issue has been around justice, ensuring that the transition benefits all, starting with those most vulnerable. This roundtable explores the EU’s just transition policies, their impact internally and globally, and the expectations for the new European Commission. As the concept of the just transition becomes increasingly a legal requirement, not only a political aspiration, we examine the concept’s legal evolution, its inclusion in EU legislation, and the effectiveness of policies in delivering social justice. The debate also explores the EU's international responsibilities, considering discussions taking place at COP29, which was happening simultaneously.
Experts from academia, civil society, and EU institutions were brought together to evaluate how the EU can drive a fair and effective transition both within Europe and globally, and suggest a future direction of just transition policies.
Watch it here on YouTube.
Speakers
| Catherine Ganzleben | Head of Group on Enabling Systems Change, European Environment Agency (EEA) | With over 25 years of experience in sustainability, Dr Catherine Ganzleben leads the Group on Enabling Systems Change at the European Environment Agency (EEA) in line with the EU Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Catherine manages a diverse team of senior experts, who track progress towards sustainability in Europe, support the design and implementation of EU sustainable finance policy in Europe, and explore how the changes driven by the green transition impact on society. Catherine previously lead the Group on Air Pollution, Environment and Health at the EEA, producing robust evidence on how environmental pollution impacts health, in terms of disease outcomes, as well as how nature supports health and wellbeing. Catherine also served as Head of Group on Green Economy at the EEA, assessing progress towards a circular economy in Europe. Prior to the EEA, Catherine’s experience working on sustainable development covers the private sector as an environment and health consultant, the UN delivering technical assistance on chemicals and waste and NGOs tracking policy development at international level. |
| Vilja Johansson | Doctoral Researcher at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) | Vilja Johansson is a doctoral researcher at the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental law at the University of Eastern Finland. She holds a MSc in Public International Law from Åbo Akademi University. Her research explores the legal evolution of just transition in international, EU and national climate law and the mechanisms that are applied for the implementation of a just transition in different jurisdictions. She also was awarded a Short-Term Fellowship from GreenDeal-NET. |
| Raluca Ionescu | Policy officer - Climate governance, plans and mainstreaming (DG CLIMA, European Commission) | Ms Raluca Ionescu-Isaksen graduated the management faculty of the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest and obtained a master in business administration at the National Political and Administrative Studies in Bucharest as well as a master in green growth at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo. She has experience as a programme manager at the European Commission, DG Regional Policy, coordinating programmes in Romania and Hungary. In 2023, she joined the Climate governance, plans and mainstreaming unit of European Commission, DG Climate Action, to work on just transition and coordinate the country desks network. |
| Mags Bird | Just Transition Senior Policy Officer, WWF EU | Mags Bird is Senior Policy Officer for Just Transition within the Climate & Energy team in WWF European Policy Office. She holds a postgraduate certificate in Climate Change & Energy from the University of Antwerp and an MsC in Development Management from the London School of Economics. She previously worked in humanitarian aid. |
| Leonie Reins | Professor of Public Law and Sustainability at Erasmus School of Law and Member of GreenDeal-NET’s Advisory Board | Leonie Reins is Professor of Public Law and Sustainability at Erasmus School of Law. Prior to joining ESL she worked as an Assistant Professor at the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society (TILT) at Tilburg University. She obtained her FWO-financed PhD on "the coherent regulation on energy and environment - using shale gas as a case study" from KU Leuven, where she subsequently also worked as a Post-Doctoral Researcher. In addition Leonie worked as Legal Advisor at a Brussels-based environmental law and policy consultancy, where she was involved in projects on environmental, energy and climate change law and policy. Leonie holds and LL.M. in International, European and Comparative Energy and Environmental Law. |
The roundtable debate series "Key Issues in EU Climate and Sustainability Governance" delves into pressing issues surrounding climate and sustainability governance in the context of the European Green Deal. Each debate offers a platform for exchanging unique perspectives, featuring a diverse panel of experts and stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, civil society and industry representatives.