New framework helps organisations balance climate ambition with social and economic responsibility
Tuesday’s Fruitnet Tropicals Congress in Barcelona served as the launchpad for Fairmiles’ Just Transition Principles.
Developed over several years through collaboration between producers, retailers, researchers, NGOs and international development partners, the principles provide a practical framework to help organisations navigate increasingly complex sustainability choices.
As businesses face growing pressure to reduce emissions, protect biodiversity and strengthen responsible sourcing, sustainability decisions are becoming increasingly complex.
Organisations are increasingly recognising that decisions intended to address one sustainability challenge can unintentionally create new environmental, social or economic impacts elsewhere. According to Fairmiles, changing sourcing strategies, introducing new sustainability requirements or taking action to address sustainability challenges may deliver intended benefits while also affecting jobs, livelihoods, communities, businesses or ecosystems if wider impacts are not considered.
Unlike reporting frameworks or certification schemes, the Just Transition Principles help organisations navigate sustainability trade-offs. They provide a practical framework for considering business risks and opportunities, understanding wider impacts, engaging affected stakeholders and ensuring that change is implemented fairly.
Simon Derrick, founder of Fairmiles, commented: “Sustainability is no longer simply about reducing environmental impacts alone. Many of today’s decisions involve difficult trade-offs. A change that delivers environmental benefits may also affect livelihoods, businesses or entire producing regions. The Just Transition Principles help organisations recognise those trade-offs before decisions are made, so that sustainability progress does not unintentionally leave people behind”.
Helping organisations manage complex trade-offs
From sourcing decisions and logistics to climate strategies and new regulatory requirements, organisations increasingly face choices that require balancing environmental ambition with social and economic outcomes.
The Just Transition Principles provide a structured approach built around four simple questions:
- What are the business risks and opportunities?
- What are the wider social and environmental impacts?
- Is the decision informed by evidence and meaningful stakeholder engagement?
- If change is justified, how can it be implemented fairly?
Together, these principles help organisations make more informed decisions while reducing the risk of unintended consequences and supporting more resilient supply chains.
Built through collaboration across the sector
The principles are the result of an extensive international consultation involving retailers, growers, suppliers, researchers, NGOs, development organisations and industry bodies. This collaborative process helped refine both the principles and their supporting guidance, creating a practical resource designed for real-world decision-making rather than theoretical discussion.
Dr Ebenezer Laryea of Aston University and Colead, said: “The sustainability challenges facing global supply chains cannot be solved in isolation. Effective decisions require organisations to consider environmental, social and economic impacts together. These Principles provide a practical framework for doing exactly that, reflecting the collaborative approach needed to build more resilient and inclusive supply chains”.
From principles to practice
The launch marks the beginning of the next phase of the Fairmiles initiative. Over the coming months, Fairmiles will work with partners to develop practical guidance, decision-making tools, worksheets and case studies to help organisations apply the Principles in everyday business decisions. Organisations interested in piloting these resources or contributing examples of good practice are invited to participate as the framework continues to evolve through shared learning across the sector.
The Fairmiles Just Transition Principles are available at:
