La sfida della 'transizione giusta' in due aree di antica industrializzazione: Taranto e Sulcis

The Just Transition Fund is the financial instrument approved by the European Commission to support the transition to a climate-neutral economy of the most coal-depended European areas: here the transition will lead to significant job losses and will require a substantial redefinition of development choices. Starting from this new European policy intervention, the article reflects comparatively on the trajectories of socio-economic development undertaken by the two Italian areas targeted by the Fund: Taranto (Puglia), that is the most important national site of steel production, and Sulcis Iglesiente (Sardinia), home to metallurgical industries and a coal-fired power station. The article also contributes to the debate on the deindustrialization of old industrial areas. Based on an explorative analysis, the article firstly observes that the Fund will impact on two different trajectories of deindustrialization. Secondly, although appearing as a positive stimulus, it raises some critical issues concerning the capacity of the two territories to renew their administrative action to implement the Fund’s objectives and to integrate them with previous strategies.