Just Transition in the European Car Industry

The project aims to contribute to the successful implementation of the European Green Deal and the achievement of a carbon neutral Europe by enabling a just transition to unfold. It builds an understanding on how the EU’s bid to reduce emissions will affect its automotive industry. The project aims to address the automotive sector’s just transition. Equipped with the new research that the consortium will conduct, the activities under­taken in the project can be a starting point for the development and implementation of a just and climate-friendly transition of the European automotive sector. The dual goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the income security of Europeans seem to clash at this particular conjuncture. Taking the climate crisis seriously means phasing out internal combustion engines as well as shifting to less labour-intensive EVs and less motorised individual mobility. We seek to support the development of a framework and platform that helps European automotive stakeholders devise strategies and initiate communication on how to transform their activities to meet the demands of a carbon neutral global transportation sector in a just manner. The project’s prime goal and thereby planned impact is to set the tone of automotive sector strategies in a way that social justice is at the heart of the actions considered. By raising public awareness, drafting policy proposals and building networks, the project aims to prompt politicians to confront these challenges. It aims to influence national and EU policy discourses, supporting the realisation of climate targets through a just transition.