The Transformative environmental justice (EnJUSTICE) project seeks to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, including Indigenous and grassroots groups in Greenland, Lithuania, and Sápmi, in shaping the Nordic-Baltic green transition strategy. Climate mitigation efforts often overlook these communities, failing to incorporate their social systems, values, and knowledge into policy-making.

This exclusion contrasts with the Nordic tradition of inclusivity in public policy but is increasingly challenged by EU laws that extend into national and regional governance. Additionally, national institutions struggle to address the global and long-term effects of environmental degradation, reinforcing power imbalances that hinder a just energy transition.

Photo Credit: Ale_rizzo. 

Although democratic engagement has become central to discussions on equitable green transitions, debates often focus too much on technical solutions. The EnJUSTICE project aims to foster a more legitimate decision-making process by ensuring that diverse stakeholders, particularly marginalized communities, are at the centre of policy development for a fossil-free energy future.

The project will work closely with local communities to explore how their environmental justice struggles can inform a more holistic, community-driven approach to the green transition, aligning with Nordic-Baltic ideals of inclusivity and equity in environmental governance.