Senior Lecturer Dr Kate Carter has been awarded £542,884 from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to take forward vital research around the just transition to Net Zero as part of a larger £5.7 million project. 

Kate is a co-lead on the Integrated Systems Approaches for Accelerating a Just Transition (JUST-Systems) project which has received a total of £5.7 million. The project aims to develop practical actions that build on community aspirations for sustainable, liveable and resilient places. 

On the importance of the project Kate says: “JUST-Systems will directly help the UK with our approach to achieving Net Zero and ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition to cleaner energy. 

“The outcomes and impact of the project will be implemented in real time, affecting UK-wide and local policy around Net Zero and enabling change in communities,” she continues. “Working on this project is a culmination of my career spent in researching sustainability and it’s fantastic to be able to contribute to a just transition via this project.” 

Research Officer Betony DuBock of ECA’s Research, Knowledge Exchange and Impact (RKEI) team supported Kate’s research bid and will continue to manage the administrative side of the project. 

Collaborative transdisciplinary team 

Led by the University of Aberdeen, the project brings together Stirling, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Warwick and Reading Universities, with support from the UK Committee on Climate Change, the UK Government and devolved Scottish and Welsh Government, various local authorities and other regional and civil society partners. 

Kate’s transdisciplinary research will align to the project’s five case studies located across the UK which encompass issues and developments such as:  

• Fuel poverty, local economic development and wellbeing in Torry, Aberdeen
• Transforming energy systems in East Ayrshire to make rural ex-mining communities better connected, healthier and improve living standards.
• Supporting Clackmannanshire Council and local communities’ aspirations for a healthier, wealthier and greener future, increasing participation and supporting Net Zero planning and engagement.  

Full details of the case studies can be found on the University of Aberdeen’s website. 

Students benefit from working on live research project 

Kate is currently the course organiser of ECA’s MSc Advanced Sustainable Design project and says that JUST-Systems will allow students to gain invaluable experience through working on the project: “The students have developed a framework and will design projects for a Just Transition to Net Zero. They have been able to visit Cumnock in East Ayrshire and meet with the council, helping them to understand how the community will benefit from an inclusive and fair transition away from fossil fuel.” 

The project will run until 2030 and outputs will be shared through public engagement events, co-creation with project partners and an annual project conference.