“Just Transition” is a principle, a process and a practice. The principle of just transition is that a healthy economy and a clean environment can and should co-exist. The process for achieving this vision should be a fair one that should not cost workers or community residents their health, environment, jobs, or economic assets.

Any losses should be fairly compensated. And the practice of just transition means that the people who are most affected by pollution – the frontline workers and the fenceline communities – should be in the leadership of crafting policy solutions.

The Just Transition Alliance was formed in 1997. We seek just transition of communities and workers from unsafe workplaces and environments to healthy, viable communities with a sustainable economy. We devote our primary resources to strengthening frontline and fence-line alliances with an eye toward building and creating alternatives to corporate globalization that work for people on-the-ground.

1. Workers, community residents, and Indigenous Peoples around the world have a fundamental human right to clean air, water, land, and food in their workplaces, homes and environment.
2. There is no contradiction among simultaneously creating sustainable development, having a healthy economy and maintaining a clean and safe environment.
3. Liberalization of environmental, health and labor laws and corporate globalization – know no borders. Therefore, solutions call for local, regional, national, and global solidarity.
4. The development of fair economic, trade, health and safety and environmental policies must include both the frontline workers and fence-line communities most affected by pollution, ecological damage and economic restructuring
5. The costs of achieving sustainable development, a healthy economy and clean environment should not be borne by current or future victims of environmental and economic injustices and unfair free trade policies.
6. Workers and community residents have the right to challenge any entity that commits economic and/or environmental injustices. These entities include governments, the military, corporations, international bodies, and mechanisms for securing corporate accountability.