The Palgrave Handbook of Just Green Transitions in the Western Balkans and Beyond

This open access handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the concept of just green transitions and its key dimensions. With a specific focus on the Western Balkans and other key European regions, it explores the core policy thematic areas at the heart of the just green transition and the socio-economic and governance challenges and opportunities within each policy theme. Each chapter provides examples of good practice and of just green transition policies developed and implemented across this region. Finally, the handbook outlines forward-thinking recommendations that help facilitate the development of effective policies and governance structures that support the delivery of just green transitions and promote socio-economic growth to meet the needs of citizens.

List of contents

Part I: Setting the Context of Just Green Transitions.- Chapter 1. Just Green Transitions - An Introduction (Erblin Berisha, John Moodie, Ledio Allkja, Marija Jeftic).- Chapter 2. The Multidimensionality of Just Green Transitions (John Moodie, Erblin Berisha, Ledio Allkja, Marija Jeftic).- Chapter 3. The Just Green Transitions Policy Landscape (John Moodie, Ledio Allkja, Marija Jeftic, Erblin Berisha).- Part II: Theorizing just green transitions.- Chapter 4. The unknown knowns of the just green transi-tions: A meta-governance approach for a possible enlargement of the European Union (Yahya Shaker).-Chapter 5. The Just Green Transitions concept: from mitigation to transformation (Carlos Tapia, Alberto Gia-cometti, John Moodie, Elin Cedergren, Aida Shaneh).- Chapter 6. Partici-patory planning culture and its role and potential for fostering just green transition (Matej Jasso, Milan Husar).- Chapter 7. Transition knowledge work as normal work (Govert Valkenburg).- Part III: Just Green Transi-tions policy themes.- Chapter 8. Landscape design as a tool to foster spa-tial transformations in light of just green transition in the Western Balkan (Dea Buza and Ledio Allkja).- Chapter 9. Green energy transition in the Western Balkans: Challenges and opportunities for Bosnia and Herze-govina (Aliaksandr Novikau, Mustafa Krupalija).- Chapter 10. Cross-border dimension of Just Green Transition in the Western Balkans case study of the Republic of Serbia (Ana Nikolov).- Chapter 11. Just Green Transitions of coal-mining cities (Tamara Maricic, Marijana Pantic).- Chap-ter 12. Between light and shadow: exploring spatial and multidimension-al justice in the EU s green transition (Grazia Brunetta, Ombretta Cal-darice, Danial Mohabat Doost).- Part IV - Just Green Transitions on the Western Balkans.- Chapter 13. Just Green Transitions in North Macedo-nia: a place-based case study from Southwest Planning region (Vesna Garvanlieva Andonova, Elena Gotovska, Marjan Nikolov).- Chapter 14. The risks of purposive transitions in Albania - What to expect by the Just Green Transitions (Fiona Imami, Besnik Aliaj and Anila Bejko (Gjika)).- Chapter 15. "Signs by the Roadside" on the Road to Just Green Transi-tions in Serbians-Border Dimension of Just Green Transitions in the Western Balkans (Zora Zivanovic, Vladimir Popovic, Branko Protic, Ale-ksandar Djordjevic, Velimir ecerov, Marija Jeftic).- Chapter 16. Social impact of green transition: assessing the distributional implication of coal mines closure in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Nermin Oruc, Amela Kurta, Il-ma Kurtovic and Fiona Imami).- Chapter 17. The Montenegrin waste management sector transformation and its impacts towards Just Green Transitions (Merita Toska, Rodion Gjoka, Ogerta Gjinkuri, Azra Vukovic).- Chapter 18. Advancing energy efficiency & waste Management in Koso-vo: Policy implementation, challenges, & pathways to sustainability (Elvis Ndreka and Fiona Imami).- Chapter 19. Climate change adaptation green Technologies for coastal risk Prevention - case studies summary from Coastal countries (Irma Kraja Temali).-Chapter 20. Green EU integration - The role of the green agenda in accelerating Just Green Transitions in the Western Balkans (Erblin Berisha).- Part V: Just Green Transitions practice in Europe and beyond.- Chapter 21. Just Green Transitions in the EU: Comparing the cases of Italy, Sweden, Poland, and the Nether-lands (Erblin Berisha, Giancarlo Cotella, Erika Puntillo, Yahya Shaker).- Chapter 22. Understanding territorial governance dynamics in the Swe-dish EU territorial just transition planning processes - lessons for the Western Balkans (Aida Shaneh, John Moodie, Carlos Tapia, Alberto Gia-cometti, Elin, Cedergen).- Chapter 23. Synergy effects of Just Green Transition from overall challenges to innovative responses in the case of a Slovakia 2030 (Maros Finka).- Chapter 24. The vulnerability of the Romanian Danube Valley to heat-related phenomena. A socio-economic index-based approach (Bianca Mitrica, Irena Roznovie chi, Ines Grigorescu, Dana Micu, Nicoleta Damian).- Chapter 25. Green transition in the Adriatic-Ionian Region: A scenario (Maria Toptsidou and Kai Böh-me).- Chapter 26. Pathways to a Just Green Transitions in the Eastern partnership - guided by Western Balkan experience. (Ketevan Katchara-va).- Chapter 27. Conclusion (Erblin Berisha, John Moodie, Ledio Allkja, Marija Jeftic).

About the author

Erblin Berisha is an assistant professor at the Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST) of Politecnico di Torino. His research focuses on the evolution of spatial planning systems, territorial governance and just green transition in the Western Balkan region in the light of international influence and geopolitical tensions.
John Moodie is a senior research fellow at Nordregio Research Institute, specialising in EU regional development in green economy, innovation, and marine policy. His most recent research has examined the concept of just green transition and its key dimensions.
Ledio Allkja is a senior spatial planning expert and researcher at Co-PLAN, Institute of Habitat Development. He is also a lecturer on spatial planning systems and EU policies at POLIS University in Tirana. His main areas of research focus on spatial planning systems, territorial governance and Europeanisation.
Marija Jeftić is an Associate Professor at the Department for Spatial Planning at the Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade. Her scientific and professional specialisations are oriented towards spatial and regional development, principles and methods of regionalisation, regional policy, and urban, rural renewal and just green transition.

Summary

This open access handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the concept of just green transitions and its key dimensions. With a specific focus on the Western Balkans and other key European regions, it explores the core policy thematic areas at the heart of the just green transition and the socio-economic and governance challenges and opportunities within each policy theme. Each chapter provides examples of good practice and of just green transition policies developed and implemented across this region. Finally, the handbook outlines forward-thinking recommendations that help facilitate the development of effective policies and governance structures that support the delivery of just green transitions and promote socio-economic growth to meet the needs of citizens.

Product details

• Assisted by: Ledio Allkja (Editor), Ledio Allkja et al (Editor), Erblin Berisha (Editor), Marija Jeftic (Editor), Marija Jeftić (Editor), John Moodie (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 01.01.2026
• EAN: 9783031950742
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3195074-2
• No. of pages: 440
• Illustrations: X, 440 p. 50 illus.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Technology > Heat, energy and power station engineering; Soziologie, Gesellschaft und Kultur, allgemein, Humangeographie, Open Access, Sustainable Development, energy transition, Environmental Social Sciences, Energy Policy, Economics and Management, Social Justice, spatial planning, Energy Policy, Human Geography, Science and Technology Studies, just transition, green technologies, Green energy transition, Spatial Justice, Just Green Transitions