Sustainability transition and low-income groups in Norway: The interrelation between policy measures and actual needs

The policy discourse on sustainability has shown an increased recognition of the adverse distributional effects that can be caused by polices aimed toward emission reductions. As an example, when the European Commission launched its new growth strategy “The European green deal” in 2019, one of its main areas of focus was on supporting a just transition towards a greener economy that would “leave no one behind”. However, while justice is increasingly recognized as an important dimension when addressing sustainability issues, this also introduces a new important question: how well do policy articulations of justice and the policy instruments aimed to initiate sustainable and just transitions resonate with the actual needs of vulnerable groups in society? Based on an analysis of policies on three different political scales (European, National: Norway, Municipal: Trondheim, Stavanger, and Bergen) and qualitative interviews with people from low-income groups in Norway, this paper explores frictions between policy discourses on justice and sustainability, and the real-life experiences of people in economical need. While the policy discourse on justice has been largely based on ideas of compensating regions and vulnerable groups that suffer economically because of climate policies, our study also shows the need to move beyond this framing of economic sheltering. We find that low-income groups are not only vulnerable in terms of being exposed to increased expenses, but they also express a personal desire to live sustainable lives. Nevertheless, because of their economic capacities and material situation they are excluded from participating in transition initiatives. As an example, in Norway, the wealthy middle-class benefits most from climate policies, e.g., through support for the purchase of new electric vehicles or for energy retrofits of privately owned homes that are beyond the reach of low-income groups. To create real processes and dynamics of participation in the ongoing transition, our findings show a need to not only develop financial strategies that can counterbalance the adverse distributional effects of climate policies, but also to develop strategies that aim to value and award the sustainability work that is already conducted within low-income groups.