Operationalising Climate Justice From Global Frameworks to Local Realities: A Study of the Cities Climate Transition Framework in Danish Municipal Contexts
Author
Juhl, Merete
Term
4. term
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-06-01
Pages
58
Abstract
This thesis examines how climate justice can be put into practice in Danish municipal climate planning through C40’s Cities Climate Transition Framework (CCTF), with a focus on Criterion 7 on socio-economic vulnerability. Using Aalborg Municipality as a case, it applies the original, unadapted English framework to see how a global governance tool functions in a Danish welfare-state context. The study combines three components: (1) an empirical application of Criterion 7 using sectoral and socio-economic data, (2) a theoretical review of climate justice and just transition scholarship, and (3) an expert interview with Frederiksberg Municipality, whose climate plan is certified under the CCTF. Findings indicate that the framework aligns with multidimensional understandings of justice (distribution, recognition, procedure, capabilities), but practical implementation is constrained by limited methodological guidance, uneven data availability, and assumptions that equality and inclusion are already embedded in municipal governance. An intersectional approach is essential to reveal cumulative vulnerabilities that only become visible when indicators such as income, household type, transport access, and housing quality are analysed together. The thesis concludes that a just transition requires both the structural direction of international frameworks and context-sensitive adaptation by municipalities. The CCTF can support this when supplemented with intersectional socio-economic mapping, early-stage justice screening, cross-department collaboration, and systematic assessment of impacts on citizens’ capabilities, enabling a shift from compliance-oriented to proactive, justice-oriented climate planning.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan klimaretfærdighed kan omsættes til praksis i dansk kommunal klimahandlingsplanlægning ved at anvende C40’s Cities Climate Transition Framework (CCTF), med særligt fokus på Kriterium 7 om socioøkonomisk sårbarhed. Med Aalborg Kommune som case anvendes den originale, ikke-tilpassede engelske version af CCTF for at belyse, hvordan et globalt styringsværktøj fungerer i en dansk velfærdsstatlig kontekst. Undersøgelsen kombinerer tre elementer: (1) en empirisk afprøvning af Kriterium 7 baseret på sektor- og socioøkonomiske data, (2) en teoretisk gennemgang af klimaretfærdighed og retfærdig omstilling, og (3) et ekspertinterview med Frederiksberg Kommune, hvis klimahandlingsplan er certificeret under CCTF. Resultaterne viser, at rammeværket stemmer overens med flerdimensionelle forståelser af retfærdighed (fordeling, anerkendelse, proces og kapabiliteter), men at implementeringen udfordres af begrænset metodisk vejledning, ujævn dataadgang og antagelser om, at lighed og inklusion allerede er indlejret i den kommunale forvaltning. En intersektionel tilgang er afgørende for at synliggøre kumulative sårbarheder, som først fremtræder, når indikatorer som indkomst, husstandstype, transportadgang og boligkvalitet analyseres i kombination. Specialet konkluderer, at en retfærdig omstilling kræver både den strukturelle retning fra internationale rammer og en kontekstsensitiv kommunal oversættelse. CCTF kan understøtte dette, når det suppleres med intersektionel socioøkonomisk kortlægning, tidlig retfærdighedsscreening, tværgående samarbejde og systematisk vurdering af effekter på borgernes kapabiliteter, så planlægningen kan skifte fra efterlevelse til proaktiv retfærdighedsorientering.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]