{"id":11333,"date":"2024-11-07T12:00:20","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T10:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/?p=11333"},"modified":"2024-11-07T12:11:52","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T10:11:52","slug":"adopting-a-holistic-approach-to-a-just-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/tomorrow-choices\/adopting-a-holistic-approach-to-a-just-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"Adopting a holistic approach to a just transition: lessons from the aviation industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In addressing the critical challenges of climate change, a holistic approach is essential for designing strategies and policies that ensure a fair and equitable transition. By integrating environmental sustainability with an awareness of socio-economic impacts on diverse communities, we can create effective solutions that benefit both the planet and its people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate change is widely considered a \u201cwicked problem,\u201d a term introduced by Rittel and Webber (1973)<\/a> to describe complex multifaceted issues that are difficult to define and inherently unsolvable using traditional methods. The issue of climate change embodies many characteristics of \u201cwicked problems,\u201d among others: no definitive or unique formulation, no exhaustive list of solutions, and a need for cross-disciplinary collaboration to solve it. These attributes require comprehensive, adaptive, and collaborative strategies to manage its complexities and uncertainties<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many international policies aim to mitigate the causes of climate change by targeting the most polluting industries. The challenge is that some policies on climate change prioritise desirable long-term environmental benefits\u2014like the reduction of CO2<\/sub> concentration in the atmosphere\u2014but do not fully consider the short- and mid-term social impacts like the consequences on employment or wealth creation<\/strong>. We could say that they take the inter-generational justice perspective, emphasising fairness between present and future generations, but do not fully incorporate the intra-generational justice perspective, which focuses on fairness and equity among people within the same generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The implications of reducing air travel on vulnerable economies are multifaceted and complex. The intended decrease in connectivity can have a range of economic, social, and environmental impacts, particularly on vulnerable economies.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Decarbonising aviation: addressing scepticism and regulatory pressures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The aviation industry has presented a decarbonisation strategy towards net zero by 2050<\/a>. This roadmap leans heavily on the switch to Sustainable Aviation Fuels and hydrogen in addition to technology improvements such as more fuel-efficient aircraft and electric aircraft. There is considerable scepticism regarding the feasibility of this roadmap. As a result, there is increasing pressure to introduce policy measures that directly or indirectly reduce demand (growth). In addition to policy measures, there are calls for behavioural change. “Flygskam<\/em><\/a>” (Swedish for “flight shame”) is a social movement, originating in the spring of 2018, that captures the growing awareness and guilt associated with the environmental impact of air travel. As a result of these movements, regulatory action is arising from various countries to promote the reduction of commercial flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, various countries and regions have implemented or proposed regulations and measures to limit aviation flights and reduce their environmental impact<\/strong>.  For example, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is a scheme that aims to stabilise international aviation emissions at 2020 levels, ensuring that any growth in emissions beyond that point is offset. The scheme is voluntary from 2021 to 2026 but it will become mandatory for most countries as from 2027. Airlines will need to purchase carbon offsets for emissions that exceed 2020 levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Integrating environmental and social impacts in aviation policy for dependent economies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A major challenge then is considering all environmental and social impacts that condition the development of dependent economies and designing policies integrating these factors. Some of the questions that should be answered are: What are the socio-economic implications of environmental policies taken in Europe in these regions that are dependent on European trade and tourism? To what extent can these regions diversify to other sectors? And how feasible and beneficial is it for tourism-outbound markets to accommodate more tourism demand locally?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the intra-generational issues, the reduction of global inequality is of utmost importance for nations across the globe, regardless of their level of development<\/strong>. However, some countries and regions at early and medium stages of the economic integration process seem to be trapped by the combination of these four factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n