rebound

The project REBOUND contributes to the significant social and economic challenges driven by climate change, biodiversity loss, and related land use changes. A critical social science perspective on the planetary boundaries framework concept has been called for and urged to (re)define these boundaries through transdisciplinary and democratic processes.

Our argument is, that for just green transition to succeed, it is necessary to know first what it means for different actors and sectors. How the so-called "significant harms" are perceived; distributed (Distributive Justice); what processes are considered just (Procedural Justice); and whose needs, views and rights are recognized (Recognition Justice).

Co-development of methodologies that can turn the climate and environmental challenges into opportunities can contribute to social ecological resilience. REBOUND’s participatory approach can guide a way toward just and resilient futures in which "no one is left behind".

REBOUND focuses on the Circumpolar Arctic, where rapid climatic changes are already visible. In northern Finland, land use change, driven by national climate goals and changed geopolitical situation, trying to fulfill the needs of energy transformation is already causing conflicts at the local level.

REBOUND presents a state-of-the-art empirical approach by studying four resilience " building blocks" urgently needed for the just green transition but as such, never empirically tested for justness in Circumpolar Arctic. 

Supported by theoretical understandings of social-ecological resilience and justice gained by the team's previous projects (e.g., Justnorth, ArcticHubs), the international multi- and interdisciplinary research group will co-design and apply participatory and citizen science methodologies in a transdisciplinary setting.

The end product of this co-development, interaction, and learning process will be a neutral boundary organisation, a hybrid platform that enables to share of knowledge and views of multiple actors, sectors, and organisations. This can advise decision-making and planning processes and help identify just transition processes for the governance of natural resources and land use to enhance resilience.

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• Principal Investigator (PI), Senior Researcher, Docent Tanja Joona, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
• Vice PI, Research Professor Pasi Rautio, Natural Resources Institute Finland
• Project Coordinator, University Researcher Mia Landauer, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
• Interaction Specialist Miia Kärnä, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
• Researcher Juulia Tikkanen, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

The project is funded by the Strategic Research Council.