JUST-Systems Project Hosts Inaugural Annual Event

The JUST-systems project, a UKRI-funded research programme led by Professor Tavis Potts with support from Dr Jennifer Dickie, held its annual meeting from 12th – 13th March in Aberdeen.

Focused on placing people and communities at the heart of the Net Zero transition, the project team has been working across five case studies – Clackmannanshire, Reading, East Ayrshire, Wales, and Torry (Aberdeen) – to explore the challenges of achieving a more just transition. Each case study is shaped through collaboration between researchers, community groups, third‑sector organisations, and institutional partners, highlighting the need to balance academic insight, practical action, and social change.

Over two days of workshops, site visits, and panel discussions, colleagues and partners from across the programme came together to share lessons and explore what it takes to deliver a people-centred, place-based transition. The cohort also heard from Great British Energy on their new Local Power Plan, which aims to support up to 1,000 local and community energy projects through £1 billion in funding and support.

The comparative lens of Just-Systems – working across scales, regulatory frameworks, and programmes – is helping to surface shared constraints and opportunities while also underscoring that changing the system requires examining how decisions are made, who gets to shape them, and what counts as value. Looking towards next year, the JUST-systems team is now preparing to host its first large scale conference.