Just Transitions
Challenges and Opportunities of Necessary Change

Convened by

Naomi Clara Hanakata
Senior Fellow 2024–2025

Details

Venue & accessibility info:
Meridian Hall, Collegium Helveticum

Participation is free of charge and no registration needed.

The event is followed by a small reception.

Add to own Calendar (ICS).

The global urgency to mitigate climate change demands a fundamental transformation from fossil fuel–based energy systems to low-carbon alternatives. This shift is not only a technological challenge, but also a socio-economic and ethical one, with far-reaching consequences for labor markets, community resilience, and global equity. Transforming entrenched systems and overcoming lock-ins—spanning stakeholders, processes, infrastructure for energy sourcing and distribution, and even the management of resources at their origin—constitutes a paradigm shift. This transformation requires coordinated action, new policy frameworks, technological innovation, and cultural adaptation on a planetary scale.

This panel discussion explores, what implications transitions to sustainable systems entail and how they can be designed to uphold principles of justice. Concise interdisciplinary contributions will examine critical components of sustainability transitions, and the role of design, governance, and public engagement in shaping equitable pathways.

Program

Panelists' bios

Naomi C. Hanakata is an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore (SG), focusing on sustainable urbanism, spatial justice, and planning in rapidly transforming urban regions. Her work bridges architecture, governance, and community-led development.

Anthony Patt is Professor of Climate Policy at ETH Zurich, specializing in decision-making under uncertainty and climate mitigation policy. His research integrates environmental science, economics, and political analysis.

Mun Summ Wong is the co-founding director of the award-winning architectural practice WOHA and a professor at the National University of Singapore (SG). He is renowned for pioneering sustainable, integrated design strategies that respond to dense tropical urban environments.

Sascha Roesler is a professor of architecture at Università della Svizzera italiana (CH), whose research explores the environmental and cultural dimensions of architecture in the Anthropocene. He leads interdisciplinary projects linking design, climate, and anthropology.

Lindsay Howe is a professor of spatial planning at Technical University of Munich (DE) and development whose work explores urban governance, migration, and spatial justice in rapidly urbanizing regions. She integrates participatory methods and policy analysis to understand socio-spatial inequalities.