About

BOLSTER – Bridging Organizations and marginalized communities for Local Sustainability Transitions in EuRope.

No European citizen should be put at a disadvantage because of the European Green Deal (EGD). Research shows that transition policies predominantly benefit already privileged citizens and often tend to reproduce social inequalities. Moreover, there is a growing polarization vis-à-vis transition plans.

The BOLSTER project will deliver new scientific evidence on decarbonization transition strategies and how they intersect with various dimensions of inequality, such as gender, race, age and class. It will conceptualize the principle of leaving no one behind by developing participatory governance models and transition guidelines based on climate justice and gender equality.

Project started

Start date

1 September 2022

End date

31 August 2025

Funded Under

Horizon Europe

Overall budget

3,8 M€

Coordination

Tilburg University

Project Call

HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-12: Fostering a just transition in Europe

Objective

The overall aim of this project is to understand how marginalized communities are affected by EGD-related policies and to see whether involving them in decision-making processes increases the support for transition plans. To achieve this goal, BOLSTER will use novel qualitative research methods with participatory approaches to improve the understanding of the experiences and needs of marginalized communities. Next, it will organize multi-actor forums with key actors in the regions. In order to enable balanced participation from all social groups, special attention will be paid to enhancing the capacities of organizations that represent marginalized groups. Moreover, BOLSTER will actively contribute to addressing procedural justice aspects in the transition process. The goal of the multi-actor forums is to increase support for the transition plans by better accommodating the needs of marginalized groups. We believe that BOLSTER’s activities will foster a more just transition.

Specific objectives

1. Develop empirically supported premises that disclose how marginalized communities are affected by EGD-related policies.

2. Scrutinize and enhance the procedural justice aspect of just transition plans.

3. Increase the social acceptance of transition plans.

4. Conceptualize the principle of leaving no one behind.

5. Foster the replication and transferability of the project’s findings, products and experience.

Work Plan

•Analyze Territorial Just Transition Plans

•Interviews with key actors

•Map organisations that represent front line communities

•Various qualitative methods: Interviews, go-a-longs and mind mapping with front line communities

•Building capacities of organisations that represent front line communities

•Design multi actor fora to bring key actors together to create road maps for a just transition