The project „Public Capacity for a Just Green Transition“ is funded by the Research Fund under contract КП-06 Н55/13 and will be implemented in the period 11.2021-10.2025.
The „just green transition“ poses serious challenges for all EU member-states, incl. and because it relies more on available political experience than on a clear vision of the fairness of the transition, criteria for monitoring and evaluating justice, and concrete policies and programs to achieve it.
For Bulgaria, these challenges are even more for a number of other reasons: the state of the energy sector; the specifics of policy making in this sector; high levels of poverty and social exclusion; the demographic crisis; the limited possibilities of social policy to mitigate negative social effects during the transition, etc. At the same time, there is a high probability that the problem of maintaining justice in the implementation of the green transition will be underestimated and a conflict will easily arise between the "green" and social goals (justice) of the transition.
Therefore, research into the possibilities for a ‘just’ green transition is a contribution to tackling a serious societal challenge. By public capacity, we mean the ability, potential to formulate and implement adequate pro-development policies.
The main objective of the project is to contribute to tackling the complex task of achieving a "just green transition".
Approach in implementing this targeted fundamental research:
The first stage is the development of meta-analyses regarding
a) Models of public policies’ decision-making processes;
b) Concepts of energy justice;
c) Concepts of energy poverty, incl. assessments of the social impact of the various definitions.
The second stage is based on sociological tools (focus groups, in-depth interviews, representative research) to identify the current Bulgarian model of policy making in the field of energy and to assess attitudes towards possible means for a fair transition. The third stage includes comparing the identified Bulgarian model of policy making with models that are most favourable for achieving a just green transition, incl. through civic panels.
Expected results:
- Identification of models for the formation of socially effective, pro-developmental policies;
- Elaboration of a concept for justice of the green transition, incl. operationalization and criteria for monitoring and evaluation;
- Outlining different definitions of energy poverty and assessments of their social effectiveness;
- Development of different scenarios for the implementation of the green transition in Bulgaria.
Research team:
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Jeliazkova (team leader),
- Prof. DSc Duhomir Minev
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veneta Krasteva
- Assistant Professor Dr. Jana Tsoneva