Photovoice methodology for BOLSTER project and photo exhibition

No European citizen should be put at a disadvantage because of the European Green Deal (EGD), which aims to make the European Union carbon neutral by 2050. However, research shows that transition policies predominantly benefit already privileged citizens and often tend to reproduce social inequalities. Moreover, there is a growing polarization vis-à-vis transition plans.

The BOLSTER project (Bridging Organizations and marginalized communities for Local Sustainability Transitions in EuRope), studies the Just Transition Mechanism of the EGD and its corresponding Just Transition Fund in seven European regions. It aims to deliver new scientific evidence on decarbonization strategies and how they intersect with various dimensions of inequality, like gender, race, age, and class. It is actively conceptualizing the principle of leaving no one behind through engaging with individuals from marginalized communities living in areas where the just transition is taking place.

The photo exposition is based on the ‘photovoice’ participatory method, whereby these individuals take series of photos to capture their perceptions concerning their neighbourhoods, the future, and climate change. The photos aim to uncover the differences in priorities between citizens living in areas undergoing transition and the decision-makers who determine the policies, strategies, and pathways that will shape their future. The photos serve as artifacts of reflection that feed discussions on what it means to leave no one behind in the just transition.

Practically speaking, photos come from two out of the seven just transition regions in BOLSTER: Hainaut (Belgium) and León (Spain). They were taken by participants who agreed to participate in BOLSTER. They represent the marginalized communities featured in our study: the youth, women, and geographically specific areas of each facing challenges linked to the EGD and carbon neutral transitions (e.g., Roma population, spatially marginalized areas in old industrial zones).