Get to know us

The Just Transitions lab is a hub for analysis on equitable energy transitions. Moving beyond fossil fuel replacement, the Just Transitions lab interrogates how an energy transition can be leveraged to advance a more just future, not only for fossil fuel workers and communities, but for all workers and communities. Led by Dr. J. Mijin Cha, a globally recognized expert in just transition, the Just Transition labs seeks creative and original solutions that substantially reduce climate pollution while also building a more resilient, equitable, and just future. We generate research that is important and relevant to stakeholders across a wide spectrum, including, but not limited to, academic audiences. We produce a variety of research and publications to ensure our research is accessible and widely read.

Our History

The Just Transitions lab began with fieldwork research in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, the most productive coal mining region in the U.S. Dr. Cha conducted a series of interviews and site visits to understand the challenges workers and communities face in the region as coal production declined. This research made an important intervention in energy transition scholarship by focusing on the socio-economic considerations, rather than the technical aspects of an energy transition. The results of this research were published in Energy Research and Social Science. Since that time, several research projects have further explored the socio-economic impacts of an energy transition and provided governance frameworks for advancing a just transition, including the Four Pillars, which were further expanded upon in Dr. Cha’s book, A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future.

Our Work

Grounded in critical interdisciplinary social sciences, the Just Transition lab uses qualitative research methods and is deeply committed to community-engaged and community-based research. We build long-standing relationships with communities and workers to co-create visions of just transitions. Our research is guided by principles of climate and environmental justice and we seek to create a research community where people in the lab, collaborating with the lab, and engaging with the lab have the conditions needed to thrive.

Current Research

Our team

Led by PI: Dr. J Mijin Cha J.D. PhD the Just Transitions Lab is made up of a group of passionate researchers working to build a more resilient, equitable, and just future for all.