Work

The role of reparations for a decolonized just transition: perspectives from the Anglophone Caribbean

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: As a critical dimension of sustainability policy and practice, Just Transition (JT) offers a framework for equitably and inclusively managing the social, economic, and political implications of climate and sustainability action. Yet global JT discourse has largely been shaped by high-income countries, often marginalizing the historical and structural realities of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This article makes an original contribution which centers the Anglophone Caribbean – one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions – as a site of both exclusion and innovation in emerging debates on JT. Drawing on a social dialogue workshop in Kingston, Jamaica, and surveys engaging 35 key stakeholders across the region, the study explores how a range of Caribbean actors conceptualize a decolonized JT. Participants expressed support for JT as a potentially transformative agenda but voiced concern over its possible cooptation to justify privatization or job losses. Reparations were seen to be an essential mechanism for achieving JT, redressing the enduring legacies of slavery, colonialism, and environmental extraction. While participants deemed financial justice to be critical, they also stressed that it should not be a substitute for or delay urgent local action. By amplifying the voices of Caribbean stakeholders in debates on JT as reparations, the research advances a policy and practice agenda that integrates climate justice with historical accountability. It has significant implications for sustainability policy and the development of a decolonial JT framework in terms of context-specific pathways that prioritize inclusive governance, regional cooperation, and self-determined development in LMICs.

Source: Sustainability Science Practice and Policy

DOI: 10.1080/15487733.2026.2681709

Authors: Karen Bell, Ramona Biholar

Institutions: University of Glasgow, University of the West Indies, University of the West Indies, University of the West Indies, University of the West Indies

Language: English

Topic: Sustainable Development and Policies

Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Climate action, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Partnerships for the goals

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $778