European and Italian Just Transition Policies amid Industrial Decarbonisation and External Policies

Climate policies entail relevant social transformations across sectors and stakeholders. Governments are called to pursue careful and considered public policy balancing. Designing a more comprehensive just transition strategy that addresses the existing fragilities of the current status as an integral component of industrial decarbonisation is of paramount importance. Given the renewed focus on industrial dimension, the EU and Italy should design a new social industrial deal, which elevates the just transition adjusting the existing framework and resources. Such just transition strategy cannot be limited at the domestic level, but should be a cornerstone of the foreign policy and initiatives, such as the Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIPs) and Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative. These initiatives provide a crucial test for integrating a just transition approach into the EU climate diplomacy in key regions, starting from MENA and African countries, by promoting technology transfer, capacity building and training programmes for local communities. These developments provide a window of opportunity for Italy to enhance its role in shaping future EU-African partnerships building on its Mattei Plan.