Abstract
Pillar four recognizes that the social dimension is instrumentally important for successful low carbon, sustainability transitions. The social dimension is central to the development of the institutional, community and governance models needed to address our most intractable challenges. Broad and deep social networks are necessary for the successful societal support for deep infrastructure changes. Empowering communities and involving them in decision-making through genuine participatory models can result in policy and planning decisions that are more likely to be acceptable as well as more effective in the long-term. Justice concepts, as guiding principles of policy development, can allow diverse perspectives in decision-making processes, enabling wider reasoning on what is considered legitimate as well as providing a means to inform ethical actions.
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Morrissey, J., Heidkamp, C.P. (2022). A Transformative Social Sustainability (Pillar Four). In: Demanding Sustainability. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18958-6_5
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