Beyond closure: Just transition, environmental values and vital expectations in post- coal Spain

Abstract

This article compares environmental sensitivity, life expectations, and perceptions of the Just Transition between Spanish municipalities affected and unaffected by decarbonization. In the context of coal mine and thermal power plant closures, it analyzes public attitudes through a nationally representative survey (n=1,800) that includes an oversampling of post-industrial territories. Based on three synthetic indicators, the results systematically compare affected and non-affected populations. The findings reveal a sociological paradox: despite displaying a more pessimistic view of the present and future, and expressing greater disagreement with the institutional mechanisms of the Just Transition, decarbonized municipalities maintain equal or even higher levels of environmental concern than the national average. This suggests that adherence to ecological values can coexist with criticism of the specific territorial implementation of climate policies. The study engages with debates on energy justice, the ecology of discontent, and post-extractive adaptive capacity. It offers empirical evidence to rethink the legitimacy frameworks of green transitions and challenges the assumption that structural decline necessarily leads to ecological disengagement, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of post-industrial subjectivities within the framework of climate justice.