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About the Project

Project Goals

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.

Workpackages

The project is structured in four major workpackages:

1. Research on the baseline situation and pathways for a just transition of the European car industry

Desk research on the baseline situation, existing research the impact of the transformation and already ongoing activities to manage the transition in a just way is conducted. The desk research is complemented by interviews with stakeholders in each country. The focus of stakeholder interviews are the company representatives and trade unions. Based on the insights gained and contacts established co-creation workshops in each partner country are organised. The workshops aim to co-create with the invited stakeholders just transition pathways and policy proposals for the respective country.

2. Country reports on the baseline situation, potential pathways and policy recommendations that support target groups in target countries and the EU

Six country reports and one EU-level report will be elaborated based on the insights and results of workpackage 1. A country report sets out describing the situation for the automotive sector in the country and future outlooks. It then describes possible transition pathways and gives policy recommendations for the respective country. Available reports can be downloaded in the "publications" section.

3. Networking and exchange between target groups in target countries and the European Union for a just transition of the car industry

The project results will inform a co-creative conference in Brussels in 2022. The conference serves to establish further connections between different stakeholders on the EU level with invited participants from partner countries and to present the project results.

4. Synthesis report

 A synthesis report will compare the insights of country reports developed in the initial phase of the project. Taking into account the particularities of countries and their comparison allows for the assessment of how they have adapted to a changing environment. The synthesis report would thus be a comparison of cases, drawing on the extensive data gathered, but going beyond individual findings and more broadly analysing the issue to assess causal factors and outcomes that can inform effective and just policy. It therefore allows for a focus that goes beyond the national and reflects on how these countries are embedded in European and global value chains.  

5. Co-creation online workshop

During an co-creation online dissemination workshop, the findings from the synthesis report will be brought to the attention of relevant stakeholders from the involved countries and the EU. All partners will present the key policy-relevant results of the synthesis report. Together with the stakeholders they will discuss further steps to be taken based on these findings and foster the transnational exchange on the topic.  

6. Dissemination and communication activities

Videos with statements of stakeholders will be recorded in the course of the just transition conference in Brussels. These clips will portray the variety of perceptions on the topic. Additional information will be published via the project website or direct mailing (newsletters, conference documentation).

 

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