Building a JUST Transition in West Yorkshire: JUST In Place Workshop
Last week, I joined researchers, community organisations, and practitioners at the West Yorkshire “JUST in Place” workshop, marking the launch of regional research activity for the Joined-Up Sustainability Transformations (JUST) Centre at the School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds.
As someone who works every day with young people who care deeply about their places and their futures, I was excited to be in a room where justice wasn’t a side topic - but was the starting point. Because sustainability transformations can only succeed if they work for everyone.
Connecting people and purpose - fellow participants at the West Yorkshire ‘JUST in Place’ Workshop.
A Tangle that told a Story
We kicked off in a wonderfully hands-on way.
Our rapidly expanding wool-web… showing how our work connects (and also preventing anyone from getting to their offices 🤣).
A ball of wool was thrown across the room - each person had 30 seconds to introduce who they were and the role they played in sustainability (and the time keeper was really quite strict!). If someone’s work connected to yours, you put your hand up and caught the wool next.
Very quickly, a colourful web formed between us all.
It showed that we are already interconnected - our work overlaps, our missions align - and yes, we successfully blocked the main corridor so nobody could get to their offices. 🤣
But importantly, it demonstrated the workshop’s purpose: there is a network here — it now needs to be joined up.
Putting Justice at the Heart of Climate Action
The JUST Centre exists because too many people and places have been left out of the low-carbon transition.
JUST is a multi-year UKRI/ESRC-funded collaboration between:
University of Manchester
University of Leeds
University of Liverpool
Lancaster University
Newcastle University
Working alongside partners from policy, innovation, business, and the voluntary sector — and built on the belief that: a greener future must also be a fairer one.
What We Explored Together
In group discussions, we focused on:
Who is already driving sustainability and justice in West Yorkshire
We mapped existing activity — from grassroots community projects to city-region initiatives
How ready different communities are for Net Zero
Readiness varies — and support must reflect differences in resources, trust, and local history
We also discussed how research can help organisations connect and scale what is already working well.
Exploring the Readiness Tool — understanding what different communities need to transition successfully.
But that wasn’t all. We explored what was working — and what wasn’t — not just in Leeds, but across Yorkshire and the Humber, including Kirklees, Calderdale and, as someone rightly pointed out, Todmorden.
It was networking, realising where our strengths are, and identifying the next steps — supported by fantastic facilitators and champions of JUST, which in my group was Leonie Taylor.
And what we found was astonishing — so much is already happening: strengths, grassroots action, and incredible community momentum to build on.
Mapping strengths and opportunities across our region — one conversation at a time.
🔍 Insights from JUST’s early Research
JUST’s initial research into “JUST action” in the North of England reveals that work already happening is:
1️⃣ Led by diverse organisations — councils, community groups, charities, businesses
2️⃣ Focused on real justice concerns — cost of living, access, housing quality, representation
3️⃣ Encouraging public participation in decision-making and action
4️⃣ Supported by emerging networks — not yet fully joined-up
Strong foundations are already here — the opportunity now is to connect them.
What this Means for those of us Working with Young People
Across NextGenLeaders, I see young people who are:
deeply motivated by fairness
committed to improving their communities
ready to design solutions, not wait for them
They are the future decision-makers — but they are also today’s Changemakers.
A just transition must include their skills, voices, and courage — not later, but now.
JUST the Beginning
I left the workshop feeling energised by:
✅ The openness to listen
✅ The willingness to collaborate
✅ The shared belief that justice matters
✅ The recognition that change is already underway
This wasn’t just a planning session — it was a call to collective action.
The journey to Net Zero will require partnership, trust, and advocacy — and I’m grateful to be part of shaping what comes next for West Yorkshire.
A strong beginning — and JUST the start. 💚
✅ Thank you to the Facilitation team
Lucie Middlemiss | Beverley Searle | Anne Owen | Sherilyn MacGregor | Leonie Taylor | Helen Holmes | Jillian Schacher | Beth Jones | Harriet Thew