What do we want to achieve with Energy Transition? an insight into changing justice, narratives, imaginaries and the case of Sulcis.

Purpose of this work is to examine people’s narratives of place with a focus on Sense of Place and future imaginaries, based on the assumption that changing imaginaries and identities of place can foster a more effective energy transition. The challenge of a Just Transition relies on supporting a new vision of the future, which should no longer replicate the injustices of the past, but must instead take into account minority narratives to build a new understanding of the future. Involving not only a radical structural and economic change, but also a new paradigm in the way people and places relate, the transition must be inclusive, coordinated and explicit. In this respect, psychology can play its part. Starting with an overview of Environmental and Energy Justice, this thesis will present the theoretical foundations of the concepts of Sense of Place and Socio- technical Imaginaries. After that, this work will focus on an Italian case study, by examining 12 semi-structured interviews of regional stakeholders in the case of the carbon intensive region of Sulcis. Perception of Sense of Place, future imaginaries and Just Transition will be explored. Finally, after carrying out a discourse analysis, some reflections on the research findings and possible future paths will be made.