Just Transitions in Action

About the Project

Climate Action • Futures • Community

The Just Transition in Action project is a community-based research and action project focused on Scarborough in Toronto, Canada. We’re working to understand what it takes for the community to flourish in the low-carbon transition. Our project has been listening to communities about what they want for the future of their neighbourhood and then we are working together to understand how climate action can be harnessed to act on these priorities. Our project aims to gather strength in the community and to build capacity for the collective action necessary to pursue community-led visions of just transition. We want to better understand how to rapidly accelerate low carbon transitions in urban environments while preventing this widespread transformation from exacerbating inequalities. This project is led by a steering committee made up of representatives from environmental organizations, community service organizations, and academics from the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Urban Just Transitions Scarborough
Canadian Climate Challenge
United Way Greater Toronto
42 Voices
Scarbrite Collective
Environmental Defence
Toronto Climate Action Network
Feed Scarborough
Good Futures Collective
Malvern Family Resource Centre

About the Project

Climate Action • Futures • Community

The Just Transition in Action project is a community-based research and action project focused on Scarborough in Toronto, Canada. We’re working to understand what it takes for the community to flourish in the low-carbon transition. Our project has been listening to communities about what they want for the future of their neighbourhood and then we are working together to understand how climate action can be harnessed to act on these priorities. Our project aims to gather strength in the community and to build capacity for the collective action necessary to pursue community-led visions of just transition. We want to better understand how to rapidly accelerate low carbon transitions in urban environments while preventing this widespread transformation from exacerbating inequalities. This project is led by a steering committee made up of representatives from environmental organizations, community service organizations, and academics from the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Urban Just Transitions Scarborough
Canadian Climate Challenge
United Way Greater Toronto
42 Voices
Scarbrite Collective
Environmental Defence
Toronto Climate Action Network
Feed Scarborough
Good Futures Collective
Malvern Family Resource Centre

Listening Sessions

From 2023-2024, we held a series of activities and workshops with communities across Scarborough about their visions for the future of their neighbourhoods and city. We used pop-ups at a farmer’s market, arts-based workshops in green spaces, a walking tour and more. We analyzed these findings and iterated with communities to understand people’s priorities for the future of their community and how climate action can address these priorities. For example, communities are struggling with food insecurity. There is a pressing need for increased access to healthy, organic, and local food options and more spaces and opportunities for local food production. Addressing food security is not only a climate resilience measure so that people have affordable food as climate impacts increase, but it is also a greenhouse gas emission reduction measure to support more local, organic food.

  • A number of workshop participants gathered around a table.

    In collaboration with United Way Greater Toronto, we explored residents’ priorities and visions for their community and more.

    October, 2023

  • A group of attendees of the MFRC Listening Session

    A series of interactive workshops to generate conversations about community priorities and climate action.

    October, 2023

Additional Resources

Explore these resources to learn more about just transitions, community-based climate action, and strategies for creating equitable, sustainable urban environments. These materials provide valuable insights, tools, and best practices for research.

  • Community Listening Session Guide and Toolkit

    This toolkit is a resource to support stakeholders to learn together about how climate action can address community priorities.

  • A Green New Deal for all

    This paper provided a model for our listening project and argues that labour & community-led advocacy efforts towards a just transition are fundamental to delivering the promises of a Green New Deal & a just post-carbon world.

  • Policy Brief: Community Investment is Climate Action

    This tool outlines what a Community of Practice is why you should make one and how to assemble the tools and talent to make it succeed.

Contact

Are you involved in just transitions work or interested and not quite sure how it all fits? Let’s have a conversation! We’re always interested in connecting and working with others.

University of Toronto Scarborough