Justice by Design: Integrating energy justice and responsible research and innovation (RRI) to deliver just energy futures

The deployment of low-carbon energy systems will have a variety of social and environmental impacts. Notwithstanding this, current just transitions work continues to focus on the mitigation of harm following fossil fuel industry closures, largely neglecting the potential impacts of future energy developments. While energy justice scholarship scrutinises low-carbon energy sources, it remains largely focused on the mitigation of injustice retrospectively, whereas explorations of future energy types and their potential justice implications are lacking. To address this gap, this paper presents ‘Justice by Design’: an interdisciplinary conceptual framework and practical methodology. Justice by Design integrates energy justice with responsible research and innovation to better anticipate justice in future energy systems, with a view to actively designing and hence delivering just (energy) transitions. We propose that Justice by Design can be used methodologically to scrutinise energy sources, energy technologies, energy projects and place-specific energy system changes. The paper begins by providing critical overviews of just transitions, energy justice and responsible research and innovation literatures. We then present the Justice by Design conceptual framework and methodology, alongside guidance for its implementation. This is followed by discussion on its applicability and limitations. Justice by Design can support the proactive identification of injustice risks while prompting practitioners to seek out justice-building opportunities – setting out an anticipatory justice approach throughout energy system redesign.