The University of Manchester is preparing to lead a new £8m research centre aimed at making the UK’s low-carbon future fairer—and not just on paper.
After an £8m investment over five years, the Centre for Joined Up Sustainability Transformations (JUST) will be funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and UKRI. It is set to accelerate understanding of a just transition by coordinating research into action at all levels of society. Launching in February 2025, the centre is meant to be practical in the way it connects evidence to decisions, rather than staying stuck in academic silos.
Manchester is positioning JUST to work closely with communities in five regions of the North of England—West Yorkshire, West Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and Tyneside—while also generating comparative research in other regions of the UK. That “joined-up” approach is central: the centre will collaborate with partners across local, regional, and national government, business, and civil society to co-produce joined-up solutions to meet climate goals while improving citizens’ quality of life. It’s the kind of work that, in real life, probably involves more meetings than anyone wants to admit—sticky notes, long agendas, the usual.
Under the hood, the centre plans to use an innovative mix of data science and participatory methods. The idea is to research and map existing low-carbon living initiatives and then generate evidence about what works where, why, and for whom. Researchers will use that evidence to support better government decision-making and to show people and communities the real improvements in quality of life that can come when decarbonisation is linked with regeneration. Or maybe it should be the other way around—make regeneration and quality of life visible first, and let decarbonisation follow. The centre’s wording leans hard into the connection.
JUST brings together a team of interdisciplinary social scientists across the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Lancaster and Newcastle. The Institute for Community Studies at the not-for-profit organisation The Young Foundation is the core partner, with additional partners including Citizens UK, the Local Government Associations for England and Wales, the Scottish Sustainability Network, the British Chambers of Commerce, the NHS Confederation, the Runnymede Trust and the Institute for Government. The spread of partners signals the centre’s intention to treat sustainability as something lived—through institutions, local policy, health systems, and community networks.
In a statement on the announcement, JUST Centre Director and Principal Investigator Professor Sherilyn MacGregor said the climate crisis and the UK’s net zero targets require “decarbonis[ing] our economy” quickly, “but without leaving whole regions or communities behind.” She also emphasized that “joined-up” means bridging gaps between interventions and policies that are currently “presently disconnected.” ESRC Executive Chair Stian Westlake framed the investment as interdisciplinary, cutting-edge social science designed to change the world for the better, arguing that the climate transition must not leave anyone behind—while also creating new opportunities and putting power in the hands of local communities.
Government voices echoed that evidence-and-inclusion theme. Stephen Aldridge, Director, Analysis and Data at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), said net zero brings “huge economic, social, and other challenges” and that policymakers need evidence—especially evidence on what works and what works most cost-effectively. Professor Paul Monks FRMetS, FRSC, FInstP, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), added that achieving net zero by 2050 requires a “wide-reaching transformation” of the UK economy and offers jobs, secure energy and growth, while insisting people must be supported and empowered to participate in the transition.
If you’ve ever sat in a room where someone says “just transition” and everyone nods a little too fast, you might sympathise with why this centre is built around participation and evidence mapping. The question is whether that mix of methods can translate into decisions that feel different on the ground—less like a programme, more like a direction.
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