Navigating the Currents of Decarbonisation: Embedding Justice in the Journey(s) Towards a Post-Transition World.

In the Anthropocene, where climate change presents unprecedented threats, societies globally are searching for sustainable pathways to transition. The increasing recognition of the interconnectedness between social and natural systems, combined with the complexities of social and environmental justice, challenges the capacity for effective and predictable governance. Yet, despite these challenges, the global pursuit of climate neutrality continues, with decarbonisation emerging as a key strategy.

This paper examines the role of models and modelling in decarbonisation as a pathway toward a post-transition world. It moves beyond technical considerations to explore how justice—both as an input and an outcome—can be meaningfully integrated into modelling practices. Grounded in the conceptual approach of the PANTHEON project, an EU-China initiative focused on integrated assessment modelling of global decarbonisation pathways, this paper investigates how diverse stakeholders experience decarbonisation processes and how their perspectives can be embedded in complex modelling frameworks.

Through reflexivity and stakeholder engagement, PANTHEON captures the intricate web of actors involved in decarbonisation, including dominant and marginalized groups. The project contextualizes decarbonisation across local, regional, and global scales, considering cross-sectoral, cultural, and behavioral dimensions alongside issues of temporality, path dependency, and the capacity for transformative change. This paper underscores the importance of reflexivity and stakeholder engagement in assessing knowledge production around climate justice and its pathways, offering insights into governance's role in navigating these complexities. Ultimately, it raises the question: what kind of world(s) might emerge at the end of this pathway?