“Small Sacrifice for the Greater Good”: Decoding Just Transition in a Chinese Peripheral Region

Abstract

The notion of just transition is important and debated in discussions about climate change and low‐carbon shifts. This study aims to refocus on just transition from a spatial perspective. We investigate perceptions in Chun’an, Zhejiang, to redefine just transition beyond Western ideas. Our case offers one key yet under‐explored dimension in the interpretation of justice: spatial scale. First, the green transition of Chun’an can be regarded both as a sacrifice of economy from a local perspective (Chun’an county) and as a valuable social contribution from a broader regional perspective (Hangzhou city area). Second, the multi‐scalar interaction of the transition process shapes the perceptions of justice. It is represented by the growing local tensions between developmentalism and environmentalism. Such a process is aimed at generating a wider scale of well‐being, contributing to a process of/for justice. We argue just transition is about a spatially sensitive process towards (rather than of) justice. In China, realizing transition is the way towards justice, and justice itself is transition in the long run.

China and Climate Change: Just Transition and Social Inclusion

“…The term is also grounded on Western concepts including democratic ideology and political legitimacy that, being normative and aspirational, do not necessarily resonate in the developing world or, indeed, in China with its unique political and cultural traditions. This is evident in the articles by Hu et al (2024), Jia and You (2024), and Yan and Luo (2024).…”

“…The final two articles examine difficult choices arising from prioritising the environment when pursuing economic development and the consequences of not listening to local voices. YAN Chunhua and LUO Yajuan report on a carbon sequestration scheme in rural Zhejiang province (Yan & Luo, 2024), while HU Xiaohui, TANG Wu, ZHANG Xuliang, and JIE Dongzheng (Hu et al, 2024) explore the spatial distribution of social costs associated with ensuring clean water supplies. Zhou (2024) approaches the concept of ecological civilization obliquely through the lens of education.…”

“…Zhou (2024) approaches the concept of ecological civilization obliquely through the lens of education. In their articles, Hu et al (2024), G. , and Yan and Luo (2024) all follow Zhou's narrow interpretation of ecological civilization, namely as a policy descriptor rather than as a meta-goal. This interpretation focuses on both development and Chinese modernisation, acknowledges past mistakes in creating pollution and land degradation, and recognises that, for economic growth to continue unabated, it must be kinder to nature, even reparative.…”

“…The fact that just transition is, as Hu et al (2024) opine, "multi-dimensional, multi-scalar, multi-actor, and context-sensitive" is both a weakness and a strength. The weakness is that the term is over-identified, meaning different things to different people which often leads to confusion.…”

“…Like G. , Yan and Luo (2024) and Y. explore issues of transitional justice exclusively within local areas, but Hu et al (2024) provide additional insights by viewing the local in the context of multi-level government. For over 20 years, Chun'an County in China's prosperous Zhejiang province has been designated as an ecologically sensitive site with an emphasis on maintaining the water quality of Lake Qiandao, a source of drinking water for Hangzhou, the provincial capital.…”