Community Wealth Building as a catalyst for just transitions? The role of anchor institutions in supporting co-operative and community-led decarbonisation in the UK and Canada

Abstract

Community Wealth Building (CWB) is a growing international policy movement for local economic development that seeks to advance democratic economies using the support of place-based ‘anchor institutions’. Alongside the international rise of net zero law, there has also been increasing global interest in enhancing community ownership and engagement in local energy transitions. Connections between CWB and net zero are seldom explored, yet clear synergies and convergences emerge in the pursuit of democratising local green economies. In our paper, we examine two empirical case studies of western democratic nations with similar legal structures, comparing anchor institution support for co-operative and community-led decarbonisation in Canada (Saskatoon) and the UK (Oldham), drawing on in-depth interviews and document analysis to understand how such activity may catalyse just transitions. Drawing on a novel bottom-up and locally oriented just transitions framework, our findings show that anchor institutions and their networks act as key intermediaries for local energy initiatives across local and regional scales. However, we see that CWB alone cannot facilitate a just transition that also democratises the economy. We conclude by emphasising the need for mutual learning between CWB and just transitions, with CWB becoming more participatory and just transitions more engaged with political economy. Finally, we offer four policy recommendations to guide future research and practice: (1) Establish legal frameworks for CWB; (2) Combine future just transition and CWB policy agendas; (3) Ensure that regional and local authorities work together to deliver CWB and net zero goals simultaneously; and (4) Acknowledge anchor institutions as key just transition intermediaries.